What’s In It for Me? Motivating the Untreated Abuser to Consider Treatment

This paper presents findings of a second trial evaluating telephone-based motivational enhancement therapy (MET) to motivate untreated and unadjudicated men who abuse their intimate partners to explore treatment options. Participants’ perceptions of how their abuse is negatively affecting them perso...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Mbilinyi, Lyungai F. (Author) ; Neighbors, Clayton (Author) ; Walker, Denise D. (Author) ; Segar, Karen (Author) ; Walton, Thomas O. (Author) ; Roffman, Roger A. 1942- (Author) ; Zegree, Joan (Author) ; Urion, Ward (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
In: Journal of family violence
Year: 2023, Volume: 38, Issue: 2, Pages: 333-346
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Keywords:
Men of color
Telehealth interventions
Treatment seeking
Motivational enhancement therapy
Randomized controlled trials
Brief early interventions
Consequences to abuser
Intimate Partner Violence
Description
Summary:This paper presents findings of a second trial evaluating telephone-based motivational enhancement therapy (MET) to motivate untreated and unadjudicated men who abuse their intimate partners to explore treatment options. Participants’ perceptions of how their abuse is negatively affecting them personally are a highlight of the paper. One hundred forty-one adult men were recruited through social marketing and randomly assigned to the intervention (MET) or comparison (Mail) group. The MET condition consisted of two feedback sessions guided by a personalized feedback report on participants’ intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use. The Mail condition included a mailed educational brochure on IPV and substance use. Results supported the likely effectiveness of MET in short-term reduction of IPV behavior, marijuana use, and increasing motivation for treatment seeking particularly for participants who reported more adverse consequences of IPV to themselves. Findings emphasize the importance of including a focus in interventions on IPV’s impact on the abusers themselves. The study’s virtual participation and success in reaching and retaining a diverse population of male abusers can contribute to transformative justice and communities looking for alternative early interventions for men of color prior to encountering the criminal justice system.
ISSN:1573-2851
DOI:10.1007/s10896-022-00375-9