Healthy Relationships Training Study: A Comparison of Interventions to Reduce Dating Violence on College Campuses

NCT ID: NCT03950128

Last Updated: 2019-05-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 88 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-02-05
• Study Completion Date: 2018-12-02

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of a mindfulness-based skills training (MBST) to a psychoeducational intervention at reducing dating violence in a sample of college students. The MBST focuses on improving college students' abilities to manage emotionally charged states during conflict with their romantic partners by teaching them mindfulness-based skills. The psychoeducational intervention uses the Love is Not Abuse curriculum. Treatment groups are randomly assigned and are compared using a two-armed parallel design.

88 college students currently in a dating relationship were recruited through Kent State University's subject pool. All participants completed a baseline assessment online where self-reported data was collected on demographics, dating violence (during the past month), emotion regulation, mindfulness skills, and other potential covariates. Participants were then randomized into either the MBST intervention or the psychoeducational intervention. All participants completed three 50-minute sessions over the course of three weeks with assigned homework between sessions. Daily diary data was collected, assessing knowledge and use of skills learned in the sessions. Follow-up data was collected online 11 weeks following baseline (dating violence (during the last month), emotion regulation, mindfulness skills).

It was hypothesized that the MBST intervention would be more effective at reducing dating violence as compared to the psychoeducational intervention.

Conditions

Dating Violence

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Mindfulness-Based Skills Training

This intervention teaches students mindfulness-based skills to help manage their emotions when resolving conflict with their partners. The intervention is given over the course of three 50-minute sessions with homework between sessions.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mindfulness-Based Skills Training (MBST)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This intervention teaches students mindfulness-based skills to help manage their emotions when resolving conflict with their partners. The skills followed the "ABCDE" acronym. ABCDE stands for awareness, breathing, checking in with your feelings and thoughts, describing your experience, and expressing what you want to change. Students learned about the skills and had opportunities to practice them as well.

Psychoeducational

This intervention is based on the Love is Not Abuse (LINA) Curriculum (Liz Claiborne Education Development Center (n.d.)). It was adapted to be given over the course of three 50-minute sessions.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Psychoeducational

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This intervention is based on the Love is Not Abuse (LINA) Curriculum (Liz Claiborne Education Development Center (n.d.)). It was adapted to be given over the course of three 50-minute sessions. The selected materials covered (a) what dating abuse is, (b) the pattern of abuse and, (c) technology and dating abuse. The curriculum is interactive and includes handouts, activities, and discussion.

Interventions

Mindfulness-Based Skills Training (MBST)

This intervention teaches students mindfulness-based skills to help manage their emotions when resolving conflict with their partners. The skills followed the "ABCDE" acronym. ABCDE stands for awareness, breathing, checking in with your feelings and thoughts, describing your experience, and expressing what you want to change. Students learned about the skills and had opportunities to practice them as well.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Psychoeducational

This intervention is based on the Love is Not Abuse (LINA) Curriculum (Liz Claiborne Education Development Center (n.d.)). It was adapted to be given over the course of three 50-minute sessions. The selected materials covered (a) what dating abuse is, (b) the pattern of abuse and, (c) technology and dating abuse. The curriculum is interactive and includes handouts, activities, and discussion.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• In a current dating relationship (of 6 months or longer)

Exclusion Criteria

• Diagnosed with psychopathology (Major Depressive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Kent State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Manfred van Dulmen

Associate Dean, Professor of Psychological Sciences

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Manfred van Dulmen, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Kent State University

Locations

Kent State University

Kent, Ohio, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

17-547

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id