A Randomized Clinical Study of a Mind-Body Approach to Domestic Violence Offender Treatment

June 19, 2017 updated by: University of Utah
The focus of the present study is to examine the relative efficacy of a mind-body method, know as Mind-Body Bridging, of treating DV offenders as compared to a "treatment as usual" (TAU) approach. The study will be conducted on-site at ACES, a non-profit agency that provides licensed domestic violence offender and substance abuse treatment services in the Salt Lake City area.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Mind-Body Bridging Program (MBBP) was developed by Stanley Block, M.D. over the last decade drawing from his more than 30 years of experience in clinical psychiatry and awareness training. In his book Come To Your Senses: Demystifying the Mind-Body Connection (Block & Block, 2005, 2007), he demonstrates how people can regulate their emotions through "bridging", a technique that brings one back to the present moment to experience and recognize thoughts, emotions and physical sensations. Bridging aims to reduce the impact of negative thought patterns that facilitate stress in the body. Bridging allows individuals to reconnect with a mind-body state that inherently relaxes and restores healthy natural functioning. MBBP is built on awareness practices that enable individuals to investigate their mental states at deeper levels for the purpose of calming their minds and relaxing their bodies. This can lead to reductions in activation of the stress system (stress is consistently implicated in the progression of many mental and physical diseases), with the prospect of potentially alleviating many detrimental health conditions. According to Block & Block (2005, 2007), the critical source of ill-being in humans is rooted in the "Identity System" (IS), which is composed of self-centered thoughts, beliefs and emotions. The IS emphasizes separation, incompleteness, and self-interest, creating an identity that lacks authenticity. In essence, the IS interferes with one's natural functioning in everyday life by effectively cutting one off from one's natural self-healing abilities, and this typically results in constricting and closing down the present-moment awareness that is provided by one's senses. MBBP teaches how using bridging techniques, one can identify and "rest" the IS with its associated negativity and bodily tension, thereby creating more opportunities for improving quality of life and for functioning more naturally.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

100

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Utah
      • Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84115
        • ACES

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Court ordered to completed domestic violence offender treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Do not speak English

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group Therapy
Group therapy following the Mind-Body Bridging program.
Behavioral: Mind-Body Bridging
16 weeks of weekly Mind-Body Bridging group treatment lasting 60-90 minutes per session.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Official Recidivism
Time Frame: 12-18 months
12-18 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Quality of Life Measure- Form-36 (SF-36)
Time Frame: 1 month
1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Utah

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

September 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 25, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 22, 2009

First Posted (Estimate)

September 24, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 21, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 19, 2017

Last Verified

June 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 34135

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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