Hope 24/7: A community based evaluation of clinical services for diverse women who have experienced violence

Violence against women is a widespread public health issue and a human rights violation, adversely affecting women’s physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being. The proposed research, by centering on the post-traumatic mental health outcomes of violence on women, will evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of two evidence-based interventions, cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), in reducing women’s experiences of traumatic stress and related difficulties. The participants of the study will be a diverse group of women who are utilizing clinical services of a community mental health organization, Hope 24/7. The treatment modalities, as informed by feminist intersectionality practices, will be assessed by explicitly focusing on the question of how and when these interventions work for women from diverse backgrounds. As this research will provide evidence-based knowledge on the clinical effectiveness of treatments utilized by Hope 24/7, it will be beneficial to the organization in the development of client-centered and diversity informed intervention strategies while working with women survivors of violence.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dillon Thomas Browne

Student:

Busra Yalcinoz Ucan

Partner:

Hope 24/7

Discipline:

Psychology

Sector:

Health care and social assistance

University:

University of Waterloo