Helping couples in South India reduce partner violence and harmful drinking
Official title: A combined motivational interviewing and behavioral couples therapy intervention to reduce intimate partner violence and alcohol use in South India
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11377915 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries a couples counseling program to help partners in South India lower harmful alcohol use and reduce intimate partner violence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $152,562 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AA029303-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377915 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are couples in South India where one or both partners have hazardous alcohol use and there is a history or risk of intimate partner violence.
✕Less likely to help
People without a current partner, those with no alcohol problems, or individuals needing immediate medical or inpatient psychiatric care may not benefit from this outpatient couples intervention.
What this research studies
From your perspective, this program brings both partners together for counseling that mixes motivational interviewing with behavioral couples therapy to improve communication and reduce drinking. Sessions teach practical skills, joint problem-solving, and contingency strategies to discourage alcohol misuse and violent behavior. The team tests whether this combined approach can be delivered in low-resource settings rather than only by highly trained specialists. The work focuses on couples in South India and follows them over time to track changes in drinking and safety.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower alcohol misuse and partner violence, improving physical and mental health for both partners.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows couples therapy and motivational interviewing can reduce drinking or relationship violence when led by specialists, but combining them into a scalable program for low-resource settings is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ekstrand, Maria L. — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Ekstrand, Maria L.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.