Clinical trial NCT00601939: Effectiveness of Empowerment Group Sessions for Treating Suicidal African American Women in Abusive Relationships
Official title: Group Interventions for Abused, Suicidal Black Women
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Battered Women
Suicide, Attempted
Keywords: Abused
Female
African American
Group Empowerment Psychoeducational Intervention
Enhanced Treatment as Usual
Lead sponsor: Emory University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
First posted: 2008-01-28
Enrollment: 397
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 64
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study will evaluate the effectiveness of culturally competent psychoeducational empowerment sessions in treating suicidal African-American women who are in abusive relationships.

Detailed description: Most suicide attempts are a sign of great distress, often originating from depression; physical and sexual abuse; substance abuse; or family history of suicide, violence, or mental disorder. Risk factors for suicidal behavior are diverse, differing with gender, age, and ethnicity. Since the mid-1980s, the number of reported suicides and suicidal thoughts among young black individuals has increased alarmingly. The higher rates may be caused by high stress living situations attributed to poverty, abuse, discrimination, racism, and difficult family life. Therefore, cultural environments, social situations, and intrapersonal influences are important considerations in developing an effective therapy to prevent suicide. This study will evaluate the effect of culturally competent psychoeducational empowerment sessions in treating suicidal African-American women who are in abusive relationships.

The participants in this single-blind study will be randomly placed in one of two treatment groups. One group will receive psychoeducational intervention (PEI) and the other will receive enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). After screening, eligible participants will complete a 2-hour survey about life events, concerns, and feelings with a research team member. One week later, participants will complete a second 1-hour survey. Participants will then be randomly placed in the treatment groups. Participants in both groups will receive treatment at Grady Health System, but those in the PEI group will also attend 10 weekly, 90-minute group sessions. The PEI empowerment group sessions will incorporate cultural, social, and intrapersonal elements. The ETAU group will be given mental health treatment as usual plus an adherence enhancement protocol. Follow-up surveys will occur at Week 10 (after treatment completion) and at Months 6 and 12 post-treatment.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Identifies as an African-American female
* Abusive relationship within the 12 months prior to study entry
* Suicide attempt within the 12 months prior to study entry
* Seeks services at Grady Health System

Exclusion Criteria:

* Score of less than 22 on Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE)
* Score of less than 18 on Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM)
* Acutely psychotic

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation Score
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 10, Post-treatment Months 6 and 12
measure: Change in Suicide Attempt Index
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 10, Post-treatment Months 6 and 12
measure: Change in Index of Spouse Abuse Score
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 10, Post-treatment Months 6 and 12
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in Beck Depression Inventory- II
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 10, Post-treatment Months 6 and 12
measure: Change in Beck Hopelessness Scale
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 10, Post-treatment Months 6 and 12
measure: Change in Self-Efficacy Scale for Battered Women
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 10, Post-treatment Months 6 and 12
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Atlanta
country: United States
facility: Grady Hospital
state: Georgia
Study officials:
affiliation: Emory University
name: Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Witt KG, Hetrick SE, Rajaram G, Hazell P, Taylor Salisbury TL, Townsend E, Hawton K. Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 22;4(4):CD013668. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013668.pub2.