Empirically-Based Couple Interventions on the Web: Serving the Underserved

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Although several empirically-supported interventions to prevent and treat relationship distress have been developed, the majority of couples - especially high-risk couples - do not seek these face-to-face interventions. However, our pilot data indicate that large numbers of couples will seek self-administered assistance for their relationship. Additionally, unlike many in-person interventions, couples seeking self-help resources tend to have higher levels of relationship distress. Thus, to improve the reach of couple interventions, this project will translate a leading empirically-supported intervention targeting early signs of relationship distress into a Web-based format. This intervention will consist of individualized feedback and professionally-filmed video clips tailored to a couple's specific needs. By intervening effectively with a large number of couples, the resulting Web-based intervention has the potential to have a population-level impact on relationship distress, divorce, and resulting child difficulties. In the proposed project, building off our previous pilot studies, effective translation of this in-person intervention into a Web-based format will be ensured by conducting two additional intensive pilot studies. Once final changes have been made to the website and Web-based intervention, 300 couples will be randomly assigned to a wait-list control group or an online intervention. All couples will be assessed for the initial two months; intervention couples will be assessed for one year. This project will: 1) demonstrate that couples randomly assigned to the online intervention will report higher levels of individual, child, and relationship functioning than those in the wait-list control group; 2) document the mechanisms of both active conditions; and 3) show that initial gains in those assigned to the intervention are largely maintained through one-year follow-up.

Official Title
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Empirically-Based Couple Interventions on the Web: Serving the Underserved

Conditions
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Relationship, Marital, Marital Conflict

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: OurRelationship


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Currently in a heterosexual relationship Currently married, engaged, or cohabiting for at least 6 months At least one partner scoring in distressed range of relationship satisfaction (or both partners > 0.5 SD of population mean of distress). Living in the United States Both partners ages 21-64 (inclusive) Exclusion Criteria: Severe Intimate Partner Violence in last 3 months Moderate to severe suicidal ideation in last 3 months Concrete plans to divorce Ongoing affair Ongoing couple therapy (or refusal to seek couple therapy for 3 months)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 21 Years
Maximum Age: 64 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: OurRelationship<br>Online Intervention | Behavioral: OurRelationship<br>* Online intervention with coach support<br>* Other names: OurRelationship.com;|
| No Intervention: Waitlist Control<br>2 month waiting period before couples can receive intervention | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Relationship Satisfaction | Relationship satisfaction as measured by the total scale on the four-item version of the Couple Satisfaction Index (Funk & Rogge, 2007; doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572). Scores on this measure range from 0-21, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction. | Pre (0 weeks), Mid (3 weeks), and Post (approximately 6 weeks) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Relationship Confidence | Relationship confidence as measured by 2 items from the Confidence Scale (I believe we can handle whatever conflicts will arise in the future and I feel good about our prospects to make this relationship work). Scored ranged from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicate more confidence.Cronbach's alpha = .88. These two items have been used in previous studies of couples to assess change (e.g., http://dx.doi .org/10.1177/0192513X08324388). | Pre (0 weeks), Mid (3 weeks), and Post (approximately 6 weeks) | 
| Depressive Symptoms | Depressive symptoms as measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale (Cole, Rabin, Smith, & Kaufman, 2004). The total score was used, with possible scores ranging from 0-30. Higher scores on this measure indicate greater depressive symptoms. | Pre (0 weeks) and Post (approximately 6 weeks) | 
| Anxiety Symptoms | Anxiety symptoms as measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7; Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, & Löwe, 2006). The range of the measure is 0 to 49, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptoms. Cronbach's alpha in the present sample was .91. | Pre (0 weeks) and Post (approximately 6 weeks) |