NCT00601939

Effectiveness of Empowerment Group Sessions for Treating Suicidal African American Women in Abusive Relationships

Group Interventions for Abused, Suicidal Black Women

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 397 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Emory University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 64 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

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.

Conditions

• Battered Women
• Suicide, Attempted

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Psychoeducational intervention (PEI)	PEI consists of 10 culturally competent group empowerment psychoeducational sessions. The sessions are directed by a treatment manual and are co-led by two therapists. The sessions are guided by the theory of triadic influence (TTI) model, which incorporates cultural-environmental influences, social-situational influences, and intrapersonal influences into treatment.
BEHAVIORAL	Enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU)	ETAU contains an adherence protocol plus access to weekly support group and a resource room.

Timeline

• Start date: 2008-03-01
• Primary completion: 2028-12-01
• Completion: 2028-12-01
• First posted: 2008-01-28
• Last updated: 2024-11-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States