Effectiveness of a Telephone Intervention to Improve the Mental Health of Abused Women

A RCT to Test the Effectiveness of a Telephone Intervention to Improve the Mental Health of Community Dwelling Women Abused by Their Intimate Partners

The purpose of this study is to determine if a telephone social support and empowerment intervention is more effective than usual community services in improving the mental health of community-dwelling women abused by their intimate partners.

Depression is one of the most common mental health sequelae of intimate partner violence (IPV). Although a range of interventions have been tried to improve the mental health of women survivors of IPV, the results are inconclusive. In this trial, a 12-week advocacy intervention consisting of empowerment and telephone social support is provided to abused Chinese women in a community setting. Usual community services provide the control condition.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Chinese women 18 years of age or older
• Self-report of psychological, physical or sexual abuse by their current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months
• Live or work in a community within the catchment area of a community centre designated for the proposed study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Perpetrator is not an intimate partner