Group Intervention for Romantic Relationships in Young Adults With Severe Mental Illness (A2C'estMieuxVE)

December 19, 2025 updated by: Raluca ROSETTI, Centre hospitalier de Ville-Evrard, France

Study on the Effectiveness of a Group Intervention on Romantic Relationships in Young Adults With Severe Mental Illness

This study evaluates a group-based intervention designed to improve romantic and social relationship skills in adults living with a severe mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder.

Many adults with SMI experience loneliness, social isolation, and difficulties forming romantic relationships, even though most express a strong desire for intimacy. These challenges may be related to social skill difficulties, stigma, low self-esteem, and limited opportunities to develop healthy relationships.

The "À deux, c'est mieux" (Better Together) program is a structured 12-session group intervention focused on developing communication skills, emotional regulation, social understanding, and healthy romantic relationship behaviors. Sessions are led by trained mental health professionals and take place in small groups.

Participants will complete assessments before starting the program, at the end of the 12 sessions, and three months later. The study will examine changes in romantic relationship skills, quality of life, loneliness, self-esteem, self-stigma, and recovery.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether this intervention improves romantic and social functioning and overall well-being, and whether it is acceptable and relevant for adults living with severe mental illness.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This multicenter, prospective study examines the effects of the "À deux, c'est mieux" group intervention on romantic and social functioning in adults living with a severe mental illness (SMI).

Romantic relationships are an important component of emotional well-being and social integration. However, adults with SMI often face significant barriers to forming and maintaining intimate relationships, including social skill challenges, limited social networks, stigma, low self-esteem, and fear of rejection. Although most express a desire for romantic relationships, many feel unprepared to develop or sustain healthy partnerships.

The "À deux, c'est mieux" program is a manualized group intervention consisting of 12 weekly sessions. The program follows a progressive structure, beginning with topics such as attraction, communication, and relationship initiation, and gradually addressing more sensitive themes including emotional intimacy, attachment-related anxiety, and sexuality. The intervention uses group discussions, experiential exercises, and practical strategies to promote healthy romantic relationship skills, emotional awareness, and social cognition. The program is inclusive of sexual and gender diversity.

The intervention will be delivered in small groups of 4 to 6 participants by trained mental health professionals. Outcomes will be assessed at three time points: before the intervention (baseline), immediately after completion of the 12 sessions, and at a three-month follow-up. The study uses a repeated single-case experimental design in which each participant serves as their own control, allowing for comparison of outcomes over time without the use of an inactive control group.

The primary outcome is improvement in romantic relationship functioning. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, perceived loneliness, self-esteem, internalized stigma, and recovery. Data will be analyzed using repeated-measures statistical methods to evaluate changes across assessment time points.

This study addresses an important gap in mental health care by focusing on romantic relationships and intimacy, areas that are often overlooked but central to recovery and quality of life.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

20

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

  • Name: Youcef BENCHERIF, Clinical Project Manager
  • Phone Number: 00.33.01.43.09.32.32
  • Email: y.bencherif@epsve.fr

Study Locations

  • France
    • Île-de-France Region
      • Neuilly-sur-Marne, Île-de-France Region, France, 93330
        • Recruiting
        • L'UNIRRE (Unité Référente de Réhabilitation)
        • Contact:
          • Adeline POETE, Specialized Educator
          • Phone Number: 00.33.1.43.09.31.89
          • Email: a.poete@epsve.fr
        • Contact:
          • Stéphanie MARTIN, Nurse
          • Phone Number: 00.33.1.43.09.38.18
          • Email: s.martin@epsve.fr
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Maria Del Carmen GLANDIERES CASTILLO, Psychologue
      • Épinay-sur-Seine, Île-de-France Region, France, 93800
        • Recruiting
        • HDJ (Hôpital de Jour)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Michel DJE, Psychiatrist

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 18 years and older
  • Diagnosis of a severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder)
  • Currently single
  • Motivated to improve romantic and social relationships and to pursue a romantic relationship
  • Received mental health care within the past two years
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inability to speak or read French
  • Currently receiving acute or crisis-level psychiatric care
  • Unable to comply with study procedures or group rules (e.g., maintaining sobriety during sessions)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: À deux, c'est mieux Group Intervention
Participants receive the "À deux, c'est mieux" group-based psychosocial intervention, a structured program designed to improve romantic and social relationship functioning in adults living with a severe mental illness. The intervention is delivered in small groups over 12 weekly sessions led by trained mental health professionals.
Behavioral: À deux, c'est mieux (Better Together) Group Intervention
The "À deux, c'est mieux" intervention is a manualized, group-based psychosocial program consisting of 12 weekly sessions. The program targets the development of romantic relationship skills, including communication, emotional regulation, social cognition, and intimacy-related behaviors. Sessions follow a progressive structure, beginning with relationship initiation and communication skills and gradually addressing more sensitive topics such as emotional intimacy, attachment-related anxiety, and sexuality. The intervention is inclusive of sexual and gender diversity and is delivered by trained mental health professionals in groups of 4 to 6 participants.
Other Names:
  • Better Together

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Romantic Relationship Functioning
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Romantic relationship functioning will be assessed using the Romantic Relationships Functioning Scale, a self-report questionnaire measuring skills related to initiating, maintaining, and experiencing healthy romantic relationships. Higher scores indicate better romantic relationship functioning.
Baseline (pre-intervention), end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Quality of Life
Time Frame: Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Quality of life will be measured using the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Questionnaire (SQOL-18), a self-report scale assessing psychological well-being, self-esteem, family relationships, and social functioning. Higher scores indicate better quality of life.
Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Change in Perceived Loneliness
Time Frame: Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Perceived loneliness will be assessed using the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), a self-report measure evaluating subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Higher scores indicate greater loneliness.
Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Change in Self-Esteem
Time Frame: Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Self-esteem will be assessed using the Self-Esteem Rating Scale (SERS), a self-report questionnaire measuring positive and negative self-evaluations. Higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.
Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Change in Internalized Stigma
Time Frame: Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Internalized stigma will be measured using the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI), a self-report questionnaire assessing self-stigma related to mental illness. Higher scores indicate greater internalized stigma.
Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Change in Recovery
Time Frame: Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up
Recovery will be assessed using the Stages of Recovery Instrument (STORI), a self-report measure evaluating subjective recovery processes in individuals with mental illness.
Baseline, end of the 12-session intervention, and 3-month follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Centre hospitalier de Ville-Evrard, France

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Raluca ROSETTI, Principal Investigator, Psychiatrist, EPS Ville-Evrard

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

November 3, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 19, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 19, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

January 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 19, 2025

Last Verified

December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CLER 02 - 001_A2 C'estMieux VE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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 Schizophrenia

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Oman

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe