Dropout From Trauma-Focused Treatment for Intimate Partner Violence Against Women

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a significant public health issue.
• Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) is an effective treatment for IPVAW survivors.
• Understanding dropout factors is crucial for improving treatment adherence and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze characteristics and factors associated with dropout from TF-CBT tailored for IPVAW survivors.
• To identify sociodemographic, violence-related, and clinical predictors of treatment dropout.
• To inform the development of personalized retention strategies for this population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial involving 91 female survivors of IPVAW.
• Comparison of dropout rates and characteristics between two TF-CBT conditions.
• Statistical analysis of sociodemographic, violence history, and clinical variables in relation to dropout.

Main Results:

• Dropout rate was 37.4% during treatment and 7.1% before treatment initiation.
• Most dropouts (68.3%) occurred before session 4, often due to practical/external difficulties (63.4%).
• Younger age, migrant status, unemployment, higher posttraumatic cognitions, anxiety, and shorter time since last violence episode were associated with dropout.

Conclusions:

• Early dropout is a significant issue in TF-CBT for IPVAW survivors.
• Practical/external difficulties disproportionately affect migrant women.
• Personalized retention strategies are needed for vulnerable subgroups, alongside measures to facilitate session attendance.