Research on Alcohol Misuse, PTSD, and Intimate Partner Violence in Couples Using Laboratory and Real-World Methods

What this Trial Is About

Intimate partner violence IPV is a significant public health issue linked to serious health and economic consequences including death and poor treatment outcomes. Researchers are studying how alcohol misuse and posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD together influence alcohol-related IPV. This study involves couples to better understand these combined effects through controlled laboratory experiments and real-world monitoring over 28 days. Participants in the study will undergo an alcohol administration session aiming for a target breath alcohol concentration of 0.09 to 0.10 gdL. The study includes couples with a history of physical IPV and where one or both partners may have PTSD or subthreshold PTSD. Researchers will compare findings from the controlled laboratory setting with naturalistic data collected through intensive ambulatory methods, also exploring heart rate variability as a physiological factor. During the study, participants will complete the alcohol administration paradigm and then engage in 28 days of ecological momentary assessment to report experiences of intimate partner aggression. Assessments will include laboratory and naturalistic measures of aggression, as well as psychophysiological monitoring. The study aims to gather detailed data on the interactions between PTSD, alcohol use, and IPV to inform future trauma-informed treatment approaches. The total duration of participation includes the initial lab session plus the 28 days of follow-up monitoring.

Advancing Couple and Family Alcohol Treatment Through Patient-Oriented Research and Mentorship