Enhancing Mental Health Services for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Stage One Pilot

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has shown success in treating survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, individuals may need additional exposure to the skills; yet community mental health and victim resources centers often operate with limited funding. Video intervention adjuncts (VIAs) were developed to serve as treatment adjuncts and the preliminary efficacy, feasibility, and participant acceptability of the DBT for IPV skills group paired with the VIAs were examined. Twenty-four women were randomly assigned to the experimental VIA or control condition and completed a one-month follow-up. Statistically significant improvements were found on all six of the outcome measures for both groups. The VIAs were viewed as acceptable and feasible to implement. Further those in the VIA condition reported greater skill use and superior outcomes on clinical measures. The results provide preliminary evidence that the VIAs are a useful addition to the DBT for IPV skills group and warrant further research.