Empowering Families Project

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This RCT will test the marginal benefit of adding economic-focused services to traditional relationship education (RE) interventions. 344 couples will be randomly assigned to the RE only or RE plus economic-services condition. All couples will be assessed at baseline, 6-weeks, 6-months, and 12-months. This project will examine whether couples in the RE plus condition have better relationship and economic outcomes than couples in the RE only condition.

Official Title
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Empowering Families Project: An RCT of the Effects of Relationship Education With and Without Ancillary Economic Services on Family Outcomes

Conditions
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Couples, Relationship, Marital, Relational Problems

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Family Wellness
* Behavioral: Career Coaching
* Behavioral: Financial Planning


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: couples involved in a romantic relationship Exclusion Criteria: current domestic violence or child maltreatment

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Treatment-only<br>Participants in the this group will receive core Relationship Education programming, which consists of six weekly 2.5-hour Family Wellness Workshops. | Behavioral: Family Wellness<br>* https://familywellness.com/<br>|
| Experimental: Treatment-Plus<br>Participants in this group will receive an enhanced model that includes the core RE programming, and adds economic-focused services which include two 2.5-hour workshops (one on financial planning and one on career coaching), as well as individual financial planning and career coaching services ongoing for up to one year. | Behavioral: Family Wellness<br>* https://familywellness.com/<br>Behavioral: Career Coaching<br>* Individualized career coaching and employment services.<br>Behavioral: Financial Planning<br>* Individualized financial planning services.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Relationship satisfaction | Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-4). | From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months | 
| Changes in Positive Communication | Seven items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: My partner and I were good at working out our differences. | From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months | 
| Changes in Negative Communication | Nine items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: My partner was rude or mean to me when we disagree. | From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months | 
| Changes in Income | Single item: How much would you say you personally as an individual earned in total from all work in the last month, before taxes and deductions? Open numeric response | From baseline to 6-months, 12-months | 
| Changes in Financial Strain | Five items assess the degree of difficulty the household has had fulfilling financial obligations and purchasing necessary items. Items scored on a 4-point scale and averaged. | From baseline to 6-months, 12-months | 
| Changes in Financial Capability | Six items assess capability to manage household finances, (e.g., In the last 2 months, have you been charged a late fee on a loan or bill?). Items summed to form an index with range of 0-8 (two 3-point items, four 2-point items. | From baseline to 6-months, 12-months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Changes in Support and Affection | Five items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: My partner knows and understands me. | From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months | 
| Changes in Wealth | Single item: About how much money does your household have saved somewhere (in a savings account, 401k, hidden cash envelope, etc.)? Open numeric response | From baseline to 6-months, 12-months |