Helping veterans reduce alcohol use and intimate partner violence
Official title: Adjunctive Motivational Alcohol Intervention to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence
Funded at VA Boston Health Care System · NIH-10980512 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how a short therapy called Motivational Enhancement Therapy can help veterans who have faced trauma and might be struggling with drinking and relationship issues, by comparing it to regular alcohol education and standard care, so if you're a veteran, you could get personalized support to reduce these problems and feel better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Boston Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2022 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX002221-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10980512 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are male veterans who have experienced trauma and exhibit clinically relevant alcohol use problems.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have alcohol-related issues or who are not veterans may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how a brief Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) can help veterans who have experienced trauma and are at risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) and alcohol-related problems. The study will compare the effectiveness of MET against a standard Alcohol Education intervention and usual care. By participating, veterans will receive tailored support aimed at reducing alcohol misuse and IPV perpetration, while also encouraging help-seeking behaviors for alcohol-related issues. The research involves 300 male veterans from three VA locations who will be randomly assigned to different intervention groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved interventions that help veterans reduce alcohol misuse and prevent intimate partner violence.
How similar studies have gone: While there is limited research specifically on veterans, similar interventions have shown promise in reducing alcohol misuse and associated problems in other populations.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Boston Health Care System
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Taft, Casey T — VA Boston Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Taft, Casey T
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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.