The Women's EmotionS, Trauma and EmpowErMent (W-ES.T.EEM) Pilot Study: A Randomised Psychoeducational Intervention for Women with an Experience of Intimate Partner Violence

PurposeThe Women's EmotionS, Trauma and EmpowErMent (W-ESTEEM) blends empowerment strategies with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques to support women who have experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). This innovative online psychoeducational program aims to enhance women's well-being and empowerment. The current study is as an internal pilot study aimed at evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of the W-ES.T.EEM intervention by comparing a Control Group (CG) - Treatment As Usual (TAU) - with a Treatment Group (TG) - TAU together with the W-ES.T.EEM intervention.MethodsThe study was pre-registered (Trial registration number and date: ISRCTN12880309; December 20, 2021) and the protocol was published before conducting the study. A total of 44 women with an IPV experience were recruited: 22 women (Mage = 46.64) were randomly assigned to the TG (TAU + W-ESTEEM) and 22 to the CG (TAU) (Mage = 47.50). This pilot study considers two time points: the baseline (pre-treatment) assessment and the initial follow-up evaluation.ResultsPreliminary results of the W-ES.T.EEM Intervention showed promising improvements in psychological well-being, post-traumatic symptoms, emotional regulation, and self-esteem in the TG. However, between groups comparisons did not yield statistically significant differences. Further insights await completion of the study.ConclusionsThe initial findings indicated positive impacts of the W-ES.T.EEM Intervention on psychological well-being, post-traumatic symptoms, emotional regulation, and self-esteem are promising. They suggested that the intervention has the potential to address key areas of concern for individuals with experiences of IPV.