Substance Misuse and Family Violence Treatment Fathers

Yale University

Status and phase: Enrolling; Phase 2

Conditions: Violence, Domestic; Child Abuse; Substance Misuse

Treatments: Behavioral: Fathers for Change (F4C); Behavioral: Individual Drug Counseling (IDC)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06650267

2000038147

1R01DA059914-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study involves a randomized controlled trial of Fathers for Change (F4C) compared to Individual Drug Counseling (IDC) with a sample of 280 fathers enrolled in substance use (SU) treatment within community or veterans (VA) healthcare settings to (a) demonstrate F4C efficacy compared to IDC in reducing SU and family violence (FV) at end of treatment, 3- and 6-month post-treatment follow-up, and (b) document improved emotion regulation as the mechanism within F4C that results in reduced SU and FV.

Enrollment: 280 estimated patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• meet DSM-5 criteria for an SU disorder at the time of assessment at APT or VACHS;
• report FV within the last 18 months prior to screening (based on self, court, police or child protection reports);
• have at least one biological child aged 1 to 12 years with whom they live or have at least twice per month in person visits;
• are able to complete assessments in English; and
• agree to have their female coparents (mother of the youngest child) contacted for participation of their youngest child. If a participant has more than one child in the age range, the youngest will be the target of assessment and treatment.

Exclusion criteria

• an active full/no contact protective order pertaining to their child;
• physiological addiction to a substance that requires detoxification (such individuals may be re-evaluated following detox);
• cognitive impairment (a mini mental state score <25);
• current untreated psychotic/bipolar disorder;
• currently suicidal or homicidal based on Brief Symptom Inventory Screening and follow-up on positive responses; or
• are currently receiving weekly individual therapy for Substance misuse or family violence

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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280 participants in 2 patient groups

Fathers for Change

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Fathers for Change (F4C)

Individual Drug Counseling

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Individual Drug Counseling (IDC)