Comparison of Adding Treatment of PTSD During and After Shelter Stay to Standard Care in Residents of Battered Women's Shelters: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial.
This study explored the acceptability, feasibility, and initial efficacy of an expanded version of a PTSD treatment developed for residents of battered women's shelters, Helping to Overcome PTSD through Empowerment (HOPE) in women who received standard shelter services (SSSs) A Phase I randomized clinical trial comparing HOPE SSSs (n 30) to SSSs (n 30) was conducted. Primary outcome measures included the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (Blake et al. 1995) and the Revised Conflict Tactic Scales (Straus, Hamby, Boney McCoy, Sugarman, Participants were followed at 1 week, and 3 and 6 months posttreatment. Only 2 women dropped out of HOPE SSS treatment. Latent growth curve analyses found significant treatment effects for PTSD from intimate partner violence (IPV) (b .007, p .021) but not for future IPV (b .002, p .709) across follow up points. Significant effects were also found for secondary outcomes of depression severity (b .006, p .052) empowerment (b .155, p .022) and resource gain (b .158, p .036) Additionally, more women in HOPE SSSs were employed at 3 and 6 month follow up compared to those in SSSs only. Results showed the acceptability and feasibility of adding IPV related treatment to standard services. They also suggested that HOPE may be a promising treatment for residents of battered women's shelters. Further research with a larger sample, utilizing more diverse shelter settings and a more rigorous control condition, is needed to confirm these findings.
Journal of traumatic stress