A PTSD-informed group therapy programme reducing intimate partner violence among US military veterans. An NIJ-rated RCT of 69 couples found men's relative risk of physical violence fell to 0.53 versus a control group at 12-month follow-up.
0.53
Relative risk of physical IPV, SAH-C vs control (12-month follow-up)
0.43
Relative risk of partner victimisation, SAH-C vs control (12-month follow-up)
Details
Maturity
Pilot
Promoter
VA Boston Healthcare System / National Center for PTSD
Period
2016 RCT (69 couples); replication trial on a military installation, 2024
Strength at Home Couples (SAH-C) is a 12-session, manualised group therapy programme developed by the VA Boston Healthcare System and the National Center for PTSD, adapting CBT and PTSD-informed treatment to target intimate partner violence risk among military veterans.
Results
A randomised controlled trial assigned 69 couples to SAH-C or a supportive-prevention control. At 12-month follow-up, the relative risk of physical IPV by service members/veterans was 0.53 versus control, and female partners' relative risk of victimisation was 0.43; treatment completion was significantly higher in SAH-C (RR 1.73).
Conclusions
The US National Institute of Justice's CrimeSolutions registry rated the programme 'Promising' — the middle of its three tiers — reflecting a single well-conducted trial rather than a broader replicated evidence base; no published cost-effectiveness analysis exists.
Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k)
Time to results
Medium (1–3 years)
Staffing & skills
VA mental-health clinicians delivering manualised group therapy
Conditions for success
delivery within existing VA mental-health services
combining CBT with PTSD-informed treatment for a veteran population
Commonly funded by
National / regional programmes
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Data sources
Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.