Trial to prevent reoffending for partner abuse among men with substance use problems

Cardiff University academics are part of a UK-wide team trialling an intervention which aims to reduce partner abuse.

With £3.2m of funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the ADVANCE-D Programme will involve 450 men with substance use problems serving a community sentence for abuse towards a female current or ex-partner.

Its aim is to address risks such as substance use, poor emotional regulation, and poor stress-coping by teaching men how to develop strategies for self-regulation and personal goal setting.

Over the next four years, principal investigator Professor Gail Gilchrist from Kings College London will work with co-lead Professor Liz Gilchrist (University of Edinburgh) and co-investigators Professor Amanda Robinson (Cardiff University), Professor David Gadd (University of Manchester), Dr Polly Radcliffe (King’s College London), Professor Ben Carter (King’s Clinical Trial Unit) and Steve Parrott (University of York).

As part of the project, a panel of women in Wales with lived experiences of abuse will give their insights, helping researchers assess the effectiveness and impact of the intervention. The group of women will meet regularly with Cardiff University researcher Dr Sharmila Mahesh Kumar to give their views.

Co-investigator Professor Amanda Robinson of Cardiff University’s Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute, said: “Eight women each month are killed by a current or ex-partner in England and Wales. There is a strong correlation between partner abuse and substance misuse. We therefore hope that this intervention will provide a tangible solution to preventing reoffending. We are grateful to the women survivors who are giving their time to ensure lived experiences are at the heart of this extensive trial.”

Partner abuse includes physical, sexual, emotional, financial and psychological abuse and controlling behaviours by a current or ex-partner. It is estimated that one in four women in the UK have experienced partner abuse in their lifetime, with 1.4 million women in England and Wales experiencing partner abuse in the past year.

Principal Investigator Professor Gail Gilchrist said: “In a small study we found reductions in abusive behaviour at the end of the ADVANCE-D Programme for men in substance use treatment settings, so we are excited to be conducting a trial of ADVANCE-D in a large sample of 450 men on probation for partner abuse. If ADVANCE-D is effective, men would have healthier relationships and not reoffend. It would also improve the safety and wellbeing of women and children, which is the overall aim of this research.”

Thirty two areas in the UK will be allocated by chance to provide either ADVANCE-D (16 areas) or their usual offender management (16 areas) to men on probation or parole for partner abuse.

Men and their current or ex-partners will be followed-up after four and 12 months to explore changes in their relationships, use of abusive behaviours, substance use and wellbeing.  After 24 months, the participants will be followed up in routinely collected data to determine reoffending rates and longer-term substance use and health outcomes.