Therapist Drift from CBT is Associated with Substance Use Among IPV Offenders

BACKGROUND: Alcohol and substance abuse are associated with increased rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). Manualized treatments that target both problems are associated with improved outcomes; however, therapist drift is an understudied factor that may influence outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This secondary, observational analysis, part of a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded randomized control study (RCT; NCT07140276), examined associations between therapist drift and treatment outcomes among court-mandated male IPV offenders with alcohol and substance use disorders. Therapist drift was not randomized; therefore, findings should be interpreted as associational rather than causal. METHODS: = 62) participants were assigned to one of two 12-session treatments: 1) Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy targeting Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence (CBT-SADV) or 2) Drug Counseling (DC) focused on substance use only. RESULTS: = 0.04); but, drift was not uniquely associated with violence. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the importance of maintaining fidelity in manualized treatments to reduce substance use among IPV offenders. Future research should examine these associations in larger, non-court mandated and more diverse samples.