Brian Kurz, LCSW, SAH Certified Therapist Viviana Figueroa, LCSW, BCD Strength at Home Clinical Supervisor Orland VA Medical Center 407-631-0478
Men who use IPV exhibit cognitive deficits (e.g., faulty attributions, irrational beliefs) that impact interpretation (decoding stage) Men who use IPV have difficulty generating a variety of nonviolent responses (decision skills stage) Men who use IPV lack the skills to enact a competent response (enactment stage) The process influenced by transitory factors such as alcohol use, traumatic brain injury, etc. Holtzworth-Munroe, 1992
Vigilance to threats in warzone leads combat veteran to enter into survival mode inappropriately when stateside Perceive unrealistic threats Exhibit hostile appraisal of events Overvalue aggressive responses to threats Exhibit lower threshold for responding to the threat Chemtob et al., 1997
1) PTSD 2) Depression 3) Alcohol Use Problems 4) Traumatic Brain Injury
Reexperiencing Avoidance/ Numbing Hyperarousal e.g., Taft et al., 2007
Co-occurring depression among the strongest risk factors for violence among veterans with PTSD (Taft et al., 2005) Depressive feelings connected with angerrelated feelings, thoughts, and memories in associative networks (Berkowitz, 1990)
Trauma and PTSD related to binge drinking (Adams et al., 2006) Self-medication hypothesis Alcohol disinhibits aggression through impact on executive functioning (Giancola, 2000)
19% of returning soldiers report possible TBI during their deployment (Tanielian & Jaycox, 2008) Associated with executive function deficits Among those with PTSD, TBI can lead to difficulties inhibiting behavior TBI rates 40% - 61% in domestic abusers
1) Trust 2) Self-Esteem 3) Power Conflicts 4) Guilt and Shame Core Themes
Trauma may have been caused by someone who was supposed to be trustworthy Others may have made poor decisions or mistakes May feel they can t trust anyone or others are out to hurt or betray them Mistrust can carry over into relationships Controlling behavior may result
May unfairly blame self for trauma Low self-esteem leads to relationship insecurity, controlling behavior, and IPV
Exposure to trauma may contribute to a sense of powerlessness Feelings of powerlessness contribute to power conflicts in relationships IPV theories highlight beliefs related to power in relationships (Pence & Paymar, 1993)
Veteran may experience trauma-related shame Aggression may represent maladaptive effort to avoid shame and associated feelings of weakness, inferiority, and worthlessness (Gilligan, 2003) Shame hinders responsibility-taking
No prior randomized clinical trial has shown treatment effects in military population (e.g., Dunford, 2000) Those receiving interventions in other settings average 5% reduction in recidivism relative to untreated groups (Babcock et al., 2004) Barriers to examining IPV interventions Randomizing violent men to no-treatment controls Arrest and monitoring associated with IPV reduction Lack of victim contact
Not tailored to military populations Are not trauma-informed De-emphasize psychiatric factors (PTSD) and biological factors (head injury) Many are not considered therapy Large, impersonal groups
Veterans or active duty servicemen who have engaged in recent IPV Closed groups 12 weekly 2-hour sessions 5-8 veterans per group Male and female co-therapist Additional monitoring, treatment, and support
Contacted every three months High (>70%) rate of contact Safety planning, hotline numbers, mental health services, other support Perceptions of IPV Program feedback
Intervention for IPV perpetration (Murphy & Scott, 1996) Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD (CPT; Resick & Schnicke, 1992) Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD (CBCBT; Monson & Fredman, in press)
Stage I (Sessions 1-2): Psychoeducation Pros/cons of abuse Forms of IPV and impacts of trauma Core themes Goals for group
Stage II (Sessions 3-4): Conflict Management The anger response Self-monitor thoughts, feelings, physiological responses Assertiveness Time Outs to de-escalate difficult situations
Stage III (Sessions 5-6): Coping Strategies Anger-related thinking Realistic appraisals of threat and others intentions Coping with stress Problem-focused versus emotion-focused coping Relaxation training for anger
Stage IV (Sessions 7-12): Communication Skills Roots of communication style Active listening Assertive messages Expressing feelings Communication traps
Berkowitz, L. On the Formation and Regulation of Anger and Aggression. A Cognitive-Neoassociationistic Analysis. The American Psychologist. 1990:45(4):494-503. PubMed Chemtob CM, Novaco RW, Hamada RS, et al. Anger regulation deficits in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. J Trauma Stress. 1997;10(1):17 36. Giancola, P. (2000). Executive functioning: A conceptual framework for alcohol-related aggression. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 8, 576 597. Holtzworth-Munroe A. (1992) Attributions and Maritally Violent Men: The Role of Cognitions in Marital Violence. In: Harvey J.H., Orbuch T.L., Weber A.L. (eds) Attributions, Accounts, and Close Relationships. Springer, New York, NY Iverson, K. M., Gradus, J. L, Resick, P. A., Suvak, M. K, Smith, K. F, & Monson, C. M. (2011). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD reduces risk for intimate partner violence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79, 193-202. doi: 10.1037/a0022512
Monson, C. M., & Taft, C. T. (2005). PTSD and intimate relationships. PTSD Research Quarterly, 16(4), 1-5. Monson C.M., Taft C.T., Fredman S.J. Military-related PTSD and intimate relationships: from description to theory-driven research and intervention development. Clin Psychol Rev. 2009;29(8):707 714. PubMed Murphy, C. M., & Scott, E. (1996). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for domestically assaultive individuals: A treatment manual. Unpublished manuscript, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Murphy, C.M., Taft, C.T., & Eckhardt, C.I. (2007). Anger problem profiles among partner violent men: Differences in clinical presentation and treatment outcome. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54, 189-200. Murphy CM. Social information processing and the perpetration of intimate partner violence: it is (and isn't) what you think. Psychol Violence. 2013;3(3):212 217.
Pence, E., & Paymar, M. (1993). Education groups for men who batter: The Duluth model. New York, NY, US: Springer Publishing Co. Resick, P. A., Wachen, J. S., Mintz, J., Young-McCaughan, S., Roache, J. D., Borah, A. M., & Peterson, A. L. (2015). A randomized clinical trial of group cognitive processing therapy compared with group present-centered therapy for PTSD among active duty military personnel. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 83(6), 1058. Taft, C.T., Kaloupek, D.G., Schumm, J.A., Marshall, A.D., Panuzio, J., King, D.W., & Keane, T.M. (2007). Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, physiological reactivity, alcohol problems, and aggression among military veterans. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116(3), 498-507. doi: 10.1037/0021-843X.116.3.498 Tanielian, T., & Jaycox, L.H.(Eds) (2008). Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, Services to Assist Recovery. Santa Monica, CA, US: RAND Corporation- Center for Military Health Policy Research
QUESTIONS? Brian Kurz, LCSW, BCD Certified Strength at Home Therapist 407-310-7601 Viviana Figueroa, LCSW, BCD Strength at Home Clinical Director Orlando VA Medical Center 407-631-0478