Intimate Partner Addiction and Coping Strategies.
I was contacted by a friend from my alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis, who has a friend doing her PhD at the Brown School of Social Work at Wash U. The PhD candidate’s name is Megan Petra, and she studies intimate partner violence*. She is currently looking for women to participate in survey research for her PhD dissertation. A quick search on Google Scholar for her reveals that she’s done some really interesting work relating to child victims of violence and their subsequent risk for becoming abusers of intimate partners[1].
In this case, she’s looking for women who are, or have recently been, in relationships with persons who have alcohol, drug, or gambling addiction issues. According to the note she sent me, she’s seeking women aged 24-65 to participate in an online survey about coping strategies in such relationships. Among the requirements for eligibility are that the relationship must be current, or have ended less than six months ago.
The informational blurb I was given is:
Washington University in St. Louis is seeking volunteers for a research study that explores how women cope with a current (or recent) partner’s alcohol, drug or gambling problem. You may qualify if you are 24-65. Participation includes an online survey (no study visits). A gift card is provided. For details go to
And the Amazon gift card you can receive is worth $10 (though I believe it’s actually a gift code received by email, rather than a physical card received through the mail). There’s no geographical requirement for participation, but you must be able to complete the survey in one sitting (it can’t be saved and returned to). It should take less than an hour. While the study does not intend to confer any direct benefit to the participants, you may be helping women confronted with the same situation in the future have access to better help.
And if you’re anything like me, you may feel a lot of satisfaction from knowing you’re helping advance science. Science with the direct intention of making people who confront addiction in their partners have better resources. I know my readership has many, many people in this situation. I hope some will be able to participate.
______________________
* Please note: other than the quoted blurb, everything in this post should be considered to be my words, not those of the researcher, Wash U, or any other body. I don’t want to put any words in her mouth, or make any claims that are incorrect. I think I have her position correct, but I’ve been wrong before, and will be wrong again. Only information that comes from Megan Petra, or from the Wash U- hosted website is official information for this project. This post is intended as a pointer to her survey, and not a separate source of information. I receive no compensation of any kind, monetary or otherwise. I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
[1] Millet, Kohl, Jonson-Reid, Drake, Petra, (2013) “Child Maltreatment Victimization and Subsequent Perpetration of Young Adult Intimate Partner Violence: An Exploration of Mediating Factors” Child Maltreatment 18(2):71-84
Infactorium 