Examining Virtual Delivery of Strength at Home for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Veterans Affairs

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant issue affecting military veterans.
• Access to evidence-based interventions can be a challenge for this population.
• The Strength at Home (SAH) program has previously demonstrated effectiveness in reducing IPV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a virtually delivered Strength at Home (SAH) intervention program.
• To assess the impact of virtual SAH on various IPV and related outcomes among military veterans.
• To compare the efficacy of virtual SAH to its in-person delivery model.

Main Methods:

• A national implementation of the virtual SAH program across 69 Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers.
• Involved 605 military veterans reporting outcomes pre- and post-intervention.
• Measured physical IPV, psychological IPV, coercive control, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol misuse.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions were observed in physical IPV, psychological IPV, coercive control, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol misuse from pre- to post-intervention.
• Effect size estimates for the virtual delivery were comparable to those of the in-person SAH program.
• The virtual format demonstrated similar efficacy to in-person delivery.

Conclusions:

• Virtual delivery of the SAH program is an effective intervention for military veterans experiencing IPV.
• The findings support the use of virtual interventions to enhance program accessibility and impact.
• Remote delivery of SAH offers a viable and effective alternative to in-person services for veterans.