MISC-IPV: a Community-Based Intervention for Children Traumatized by Intimate Partner Violence

NCT ID: NCT05948631

Last Updated: 2024-12-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 132 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-02-14
• Study Completion Date: 2025-04-30

Brief Summary

This study adapts and evaluates preliminary outcomes of the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) for women and children of color who have survived domestic violence.

Detailed Description

The investigators propose that the adverse effects of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) trauma on children can be interrupted through an intervention that enhances maternal caregiving capacity delivered by paraprofessional caseworkers. The objective of this application is to adapt an established caregiver intervention program, Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC), for the IPV context (thereafter named MISC-IPV). Guided by an evidence-based framework for adapting caregiver-child training programs, the investigators take a three-phase approach (Adapt, Process Evaluation, Outcome/Mediator Evaluation) with the central hypothesis that acceptability and feasibility of MISC-IPV will be demonstrated and that MISC-IPV will show positive preliminary outcomes through the mechanism of enhanced maternal caregiving. In acknowledgement of significant health disparities faced by IPV-affected African American women, the investigators will conduct our research with African American women and their children. Successful completion of the project will result in a scalable community-based approach to IPV exposure that may provide a model for future integration of child-focused work into existing woman-focused IPV programs.

Conditions

MISC Intervention; Treatment As Usual

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

MISC

Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC): a program for mother and children where mothers become sensitized to the impact of their behavior on their children with the aim of improving quality caregiving and child outcomes.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

MISC intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

MISC is a semi-structured, participatory caregiver intervention following these steps: (1) Identify the mother's personal and cultural characteristics, which include a respectful discussion around the mother's child-rearing views, objectives, needs and expectations. (2) Create a baseline through videotaped interactions. (3) Create caregivers' personal interaction profile on the basis of videotaped interaction. The caseworker builds on the initial videotaped interaction and uses subsequent bi-weekly videotaped interactions to give feedback to mothers on the frequency of mediational behaviors thereby quantifying the quality of mother-child interactions. Interactional characteristics are jointly identified and conceptualized according to MISC principles. The mother learns to understand both her own and the child's behavior within a meaningful framework, enhancing reflection of caregiving practices. (4) In-service training (once a month). (5) Re-evaluate training efficacy.

Treatment as Usual

Treatment as Usual in the rehousing program. Mothers receive support in a domestic violence rehousing program to find work and housing.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

TAU consists of supportive services including trauma informed, client-centered, and strength-based case management and advocacy. All services are focused on the mother and do not include any child-focused intervention. Instead, staff provide in-home intensive case management services to assess and provide safety planning, assess other social service needs, link abused mothers to community resources, and assist clients in rehousing. TAU direct contact with the mother consists of bi-weekly contact, which matches the contact frequency for the intervention group. However, MISC mothers will be receiving TAU+MISC-IPV (2 hours bi-weekly contact) compared with TAU only (30 minutes biweekly contact).

Interventions

MISC intervention

MISC is a semi-structured, participatory caregiver intervention following these steps: (1) Identify the mother's personal and cultural characteristics, which include a respectful discussion around the mother's child-rearing views, objectives, needs and expectations. (2) Create a baseline through videotaped interactions. (3) Create caregivers' personal interaction profile on the basis of videotaped interaction. The caseworker builds on the initial videotaped interaction and uses subsequent bi-weekly videotaped interactions to give feedback to mothers on the frequency of mediational behaviors thereby quantifying the quality of mother-child interactions. Interactional characteristics are jointly identified and conceptualized according to MISC principles. The mother learns to understand both her own and the child's behavior within a meaningful framework, enhancing reflection of caregiving practices. (4) In-service training (once a month). (5) Re-evaluate training efficacy.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

TAU consists of supportive services including trauma informed, client-centered, and strength-based case management and advocacy. All services are focused on the mother and do not include any child-focused intervention. Instead, staff provide in-home intensive case management services to assess and provide safety planning, assess other social service needs, link abused mothers to community resources, and assist clients in rehousing. TAU direct contact with the mother consists of bi-weekly contact, which matches the contact frequency for the intervention group. However, MISC mothers will be receiving TAU+MISC-IPV (2 hours bi-weekly contact) compared with TAU only (30 minutes biweekly contact).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Enrolled in Harris County Domestic Violence rehousing program

2. Fluency in English

1. Exposure to domestic violence

2. 7-11 years old in a family

Exclusion Criteria

1. Active suicidality

2. Intellectual disability

3. Active psychotic disorder

1. Intelligence quotient below 75,

2. Active psychosis

3. Severe autism

4. Below age 7 or above age 11

• Minimum Eligible Age: 7 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Texas Women's University

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Houston

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Carla Sharp

John and Rebecca Moores Professor and Associate Dean

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Carla Sharp

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

csharp2@uh.edu

Locations

University of Houston

Houston, Texas, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Carla Sharp, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 7137438612

Email: csharp2@uh.edu

Madeleine Allman, MA

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 7137438612

Email: meallman@central.uh.edu

Facility Contacts

Carla Sharp, Ph.D.

Role: primary

Madeleine Allman, MA

Role: backup

Other Identifiers

STUDY00001728

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id