Computer-Based Intervention for Victimized Perinatal Women With Mental Illness (Phase 1)

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant social and public health problem among perinatal women. Research suggests that from 21% to 33% of perinatal women report IPV and there is an enormous amount of morbidity associated with IPV. Moreover, IPV places a woman at high risk for several psychiatric disorders, which transforms the perinatal period from an already challenging process into a potentially overwhelming one. Further, IPV and untreated mental illness during the perinatal period pose a dual risk of adverse physical and emotional outcomes for women and their developing fetus/infant. Experts in the field advocate for more IPV screening and intervention to take place among women who are at high-risk for IPV. Given the high rates of IPV among women who seek mental health treatment, mental health clinics compared to other medical settings (e.g. primary care) are more effective sites for focused case finding and intervention. Further, the presence of IPV increases the likelihood of disengagement from treatment, which could compromise the ability of women with IPV to effectively use important shelter and community resources necessary for establishing safety for themselves and their children. A timely intervention might reduce the risk of future IPV, improve treatment utilization, and reduce mental health symptoms. A brief intervention that is designed specifically for the unique needs of perinatal women with IPV seeking mental health treatment provides a tremendous opportunity to intervene with a group of women who are particularly vulnerable and who might be unusually open to making changes to their lives.

This study is the first step towards developing a computer-based brief intervention ("Reach Out for a Safe Environment") that targets intimate partner violence in perinatal women in mental health treatment and constitutes the developmental aims of a larger study. The aims were to perform a small open trial (n = 8) of the Reach Out for a Safe Environment (ROSE) intervention to assess feasibility of recruitment of target population and acceptability of intervention and study procedures. Also, to conduct a randomized controlled pilot study in a sample of 50 perinatal women seeking mental health treatment who screen positive for recent IPV to demonstrate the acceptability and feasibility of the ROSE intervention via participant report of ease of use, helpfulness, and overall satisfaction.

We collected several measures on the feasibility of the research design, the acceptability of ROSE, and on intervention effects for IPV severity and level of self-care strategies (primary outcomes), motivation and self efficacy (secondary outcomes), and use of recommended mental health treatment services (tertiary outcome). This phase used a two-group, randomized, controlled design with an initial session for both conditions plus booster session one month later for the intervention condition. The initial intervention session was conducted close to an intake visit for mental health difficulties, with a booster session within one month following baseline. There was a 3-month follow up assessment. Assessments and the booster session were conducted in a private room or at a location that was a convenient location for the woman and one that provided a confidential, safe, and comfortable environment for the participant.