- ICH GCP
- US Clinical Trials Registry
- Clinical Trial NCT04588012
A Pilot Study of OurRelationship.dk, a Web-based Self-help-Program for Couples With High Levels of Conflict or Distress
Et Randomiseret Kontrolleret Pilotstudie af OurRelationship.dk, et Online selvhjælpsforløb Til Par Med Mange Konflikter Eller Lav Trivsel i Parforholdet.
Study Overview
Status
Detailed Description
A cost-effective online self-help program for distressed couples could help serve more couples, in particular those with limited access to traditional couple therapy. The OurRelationship program, a web-based, primarily self-help program for couples developed in the US, has previously shown medium to large effects sizes on relationship functioning for a diverse sample of couples and these effects were maintained over 12 months (Doss et al., 2016; 2020). These findings promise a large potential in online self-help for couples, if findings replicate in independent research.
For the pilot, 80 couples experiencing high levels of conflict or distress in their relationship and who had at least one child at the address were recruited through a study website (www.ourelationship.dk) build for the pilot. Couples were randomized to receive either the Danish version of the program including 4 coach calls, or an active control condition receiving two copies of a self-help book and a plan for 4 x 30 min couple conversations. In this pilot, research methods in terms of recruitment, randomization, completion of program, test of measures, and data collection are evaluated.
Study Type
Enrollment (Actual)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
-
-
-
Aarhus, Denmark, 8000
- Aarhus University
-
-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Genders Eligible for Study
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
To detail the criteria "high level of conflict or distress", one or both of the following criteria must be fulfilled:
- One or both partners report being victim or perpetrator of at least one act of physical or psychological aggression during the past year OR
- One partner score at least 1 standard deviation (SD) (indicating severe relationship distress) or both partners 0.5 SD below the Danish population mean on a measure for relationship satisfaction (Couple Satisfaction Index; Funk & Rogge, 2007).
In addition:
- both partners in the couple have to be 18 or above
- been living together for at least six months
- have at least one child below 18 years living at home
- be able to read and understand Danish
- have access to the Internet, a tablet, computer, or telephone
- willing to refrain from couple therapy (or other couple interventions) within the period of the project.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Plans on divorcing, breaking up or having an ongoing affair
- Moderate to severe levels of suicidal ideation (>=7 on the Suicidal Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised, Osman et al., 2001)
- Victimization of intimate partner violence resulting in injury or fear within the last three months (using screener items developed by Beach, Whisman, Snyder, & Heyman, 2013).
- Taking psychotropic drugs.
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
- Allocation: RANDOMIZED
- Interventional Model: PARALLEL
- Masking: NONE
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
---|---|
EXPERIMENTAL: Online self-help the OurRelationship.dk program
Couples in the intervention condition will receive the full OurRelationship program including the three modules, the Observe, the Understand, and the Respond module.
The program takes 6-8 hours to complete the program after the randomization.
The second coach call will take place after the Observe phase.
The third coach call will take place after the Understand phase.
The fourth coach call will take place after the Respond phase.
|
The OurRelationship program is developed by prof.
Brian Doss and prof.
Andrew Christensen.
|
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Off line self-help the book "Pas på Parforholdet"
Couples in the active control group receive two copies of the book "Pas på parforholdet, når kærligheden er kommet for at blive" [Take care of your relationship when love is here to stay] by Mattias Stølen Due (2016).
This book includes general research based knowledge on maintaining a healthy relationship as well as questions and exercises for couples to do on their own.
To support couples in an activate self-help approach, a sheet with guidelines on using the book will help couples plan their reading and couple conversations.
Regular questionnaires will be sent to couples in the control group (matched timely to the questionnaires received by the intervention group).
As such, the active control condition will mirror the benefit that couples are likely to get from using well-chosen, solid literature with the addition of any benefit that the research participation (filling in questionnaire) will generate.
|
The book "Pas på parforholdet" is written by Mattias Stølen Due.
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Relationship Satisfaction: Danish 4-item version of the Couple Satisfaction Index
Time Frame: Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
As measured by the Danish 4-item version of the Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI; Funk & Rogge, 2007).
A higher score indicate more relationship satisfaction.
|
Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
Intimacy
Time Frame: Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
"Psychological" intimacy was assessed by four items on 5-point scales.
Items were: I felt close to, secure with, cared for, and understood (Debrot et al, 2013).
A higher score indicate more intimacy between partners.
|
Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Depressive symptoms
Time Frame: Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
As measured by the Major Depression Inventory (Olsen, Jensen, Noerholm, Martiny, & Bech, 2003).
A higher score indicate more depressive symptoms.
|
Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
Relationship Confidence scale
Time Frame: Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
Two items from the Confidence Scale (Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2009).
A higher score indicate more confidence.
|
Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
Positive and Negative Relationship Quality
Time Frame: Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
As measured by the eight-item Positive and Negative Relationship Quality scale (Fincham, & Rogge, 2010).
Participants were asked to separately rate four positive (e.g., enjoyable, alive) and four negative (e.g., bad, lifeless) dimensions of their relationship.
Higher scores on the positive and lower scores on the negative scale indicate more relationship quality.
|
Pre-to-post (time frame spanning across 8 weeks)
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Tea L. Trillingsgaard, Ph.D, University of Aarhus
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (ACTUAL)
Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED)
Study Completion (ANTICIPATED)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (ACTUAL)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Other Study ID Numbers
- 72253
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.
Clinical Trials on Family Relationship
-
Montefiore Medical CenterChildren's Bureau - Administration for Children and FamiliesRecruitingParenting | Family Relations | Relationship, FamilyUnited States
-
Sun Yat-sen UniversityRecruitingRelationship, FamilyChina
-
The University of Hong KongThe Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities TrustCompleted
-
University of California, Los AngelesNational Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); American Academy of Child Adolescent...RecruitingCoping Skills | Family RelationshipUnited States
-
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)Polytechnique University of the Philippines; Anti-Drug Abuse Councils, LGUs...Enrolling by invitationFamily Relationship | Parenting SkillsPhilippines
-
University of KansasEnrolling by invitationParent-Child Relations | Parenting | Relationship, Marital | Fathers | Relationship, Family | Relationships, Father-ChildUnited States
-
University of ArizonaActive, not recruitingFamily Relationship | Behavior, Social | Sibling RelationsUnited States
-
The University of Hong KongCompletedSelf-esteem | Family Relationship | Self-efficacyChina
-
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of ChicagoCompletedStress | Complications | Breastfeeding | Bottle Feeding | Family RelationshipUnited States
-
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthWorld Bank; Fundacion Plan International Espana; Global Alliance for Clean CookstovesCompletedFood Insecurity | Mental Health Wellness 1 | Adherence | Gender-based Violence | Empowerment | Relationship, FamilyRwanda