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The Effectiveness of Couple Therapy and Relationship Support (ECoT)

19. maj 2026 opdateret af: Petra Nyman-Salonen, University of Helsinki

The Effectiveness of Couple Therapy and Relationship Support: a Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized and controlled study investigates the effectiveness of relationship counselling and couple therapy in improving couples' relationship satisfaction and overall well-being. It compares four intervention groups both with each other and with a waitlist control group. The groups are:

  1. HUS Self-Help (Mielenterveystalo.fi): Participants independently complete online self-help tasks based on couple therapy, developed by Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) Psychiatry and Väestöliitto.
  2. Peloton Parisuhde (eng. Fearless Relationship) Online Course: Based on Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT), this course by EFCT trainers Eklund-Mikola & Pinomaa uses online lectures and exercises to help couples identify negative interaction patterns and strengthen their emotional connection.
  3. Short Manualized Emotionally Focused Couple Intervention: Five face-to-face sessions with a couple therapist.
  4. Face-to-Face Couple Therapy (Treatment As Usual): 1 to 10 sessions, with the therapeutic approach varying depending on the therapist's training.

The study is conducted at the Relationship Counselling Unit of the City of Helsinki's Social Services in Finland, which provides counselling and family guidance under Section 26 of the Social Welfare Act to couples with children living in Helsinki. A total of 200 couples from the unit's treatment queue will be invited to participate and randomly assigned to one of the interventions or the control group, with 40 couples in each group.

Participants will complete questionnaires at the beginning and end of the service, and at a 4-month follow-up. The questionnaires measure relationship satisfaction and well-being, among other things. The study also examines how individual, couple-level, and treatment-related background factors influence and mediate the effectiveness of the interventions.

In addition to the questionnaires, registry data, therapist assessments, and ongoing treatment feedback collected within the unit is utilized. The results will provide new scientific insights into the effectiveness of short interventions and their suitable target groups and can be used to develop relationship counselling work both within the unit and nationally.

Studieoversigt

Status

Tilmelding efter invitation

Betingelser

Intervention / Behandling

Undersøgelsestype

Interventionel

Tilmelding (Anslået)

400

Fase

  • Ikke anvendelig

Kontakter og lokationer

Dette afsnit indeholder kontaktoplysninger for dem, der udfører undersøgelsen, og oplysninger om, hvor denne undersøgelse udføres.

Studiesteder

  • Finland
      • Helsinki, Finland
        • Relationship Counselling

Deltagelseskriterier

Forskere leder efter personer, der passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kaldet berettigelseskriterier. Nogle eksempler på disse kriterier er en persons generelle helbredstilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Berettigelseskriterier

Aldre berettiget til at studere

  • Voksen
  • Ældre voksen

Tager imod sunde frivillige

Ja

Beskrivelse

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Parents (couple) and blended families, and at least one of the parents is resident of Helsinki
  • Couples expecting their first child. The couple is experiencing one or more of the following (1) severe relationship conflict, (2) a serious threat of separation, (3) significant challenges in forming a family or navigating a blended family relationship.
  • couples eligible for treatment at the couple counselling faculty of Helsinki

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inadequate Finnish written language skills (the questionnaires are only available in Finnish)
  • if both spouses do not complete the baseline questionnaires within the given deadline.

Studieplan

Dette afsnit indeholder detaljer om studieplanen, herunder hvordan undersøgelsen er designet, og hvad undersøgelsen måler.

Hvordan er undersøgelsen tilrettelagt?

Design detaljer

  • Primært formål: Støttende pleje
  • Tildeling: Randomiseret
  • Interventionel model: Parallel tildeling
  • Maskning: Ingen (Åben etiket)

Våben og indgreb

Deltagergruppe / Arm
Intervention / Behandling
Eksperimentel: HUS Self-help for Couples
Adfærdsmæssigt: Self-Help Program for Couples
Self-Help Program for Couples (Mielenterveystalo.fi) developed by HUS, this online self-help program provides couples with psychoeducational content and practical exercises designed to enhance relationship well-being. Partners can complete the tasks together or individually. The materials aim to strengthen emotional connection and improve communication.
Eksperimentel: Peloton Parisuhde (eng Fearless Relationship) Online Course
Adfærdsmæssigt: Peloton Parisuhde (eng Fearless Relationship) Online Course
Based on Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy, this course by Eira Eklund-Mikola and Hanna Pinomaa uses online lectures and exercises to help couples identify negative interaction patterns and strengthen their emotional connection.
Eksperimentel: Manualized Short-Term EFT-Based Couple Intervention
Adfærdsmæssigt: Manualized Short-Term EFT-Based Couple Intervention
Manualized Short-Term EFT-Based Couple Intervention is a structured program consisting of five face-to-face sessions with a trained couple therapist. Based on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the intervention helps partners explore emotional patterns, improve communication, and strengthen their bond through guided therapeutic exercises.
Eksperimentel: Standard Face-to-Face Couple Therapy (Treatment as Usual)
Adfærdsmæssigt: Standard Face-to-Face Couple Therapy (Treatment as Usual)
This intervention consists of 1 to 10 in-person sessions with a couple therapist. The therapeutic approach varies depending on the therapist's professional background and training. It reflects typical clinical practice and is not standardized, allowing for flexibility in addressing the couple's specific needs.
Ingen indgriben: Waitlist (control group)
Participants in this group do not receive any intervention during the initial two-month study period. After the waiting period, they are offered Treatment as Usual. This group serves as a comparison to assess the effectiveness of the active treatments.

Hvad måler undersøgelsen?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Relationship Satisfaction (Dyadic Adjustment Scale)
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) is a self-report questionnaire assessing relationship satisfaction and adjustment between romantic partners. The scale measures consensus, satisfaction, cohesion, and affectional expression. Total scores range from 0 to 151, with higher scores indicating better relationship adjustment and satisfaction.
Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
Depression severity (Patient Health Questionnaire-9)
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a validated self-report measure assessing the severity of depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. Total scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
Anxiety Severity (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7)
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is a validated self-report measure assessing the severity of generalized anxiety symptoms over the past two weeks. Total scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety symptoms.
Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.

Sekundære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Adult Attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
The Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised (ECR-R) is a widely used self-report questionnaire that assesses adult attachment styles in romantic relationships. The instrument measures two dimensions: attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, reflecting how individuals experience closeness, trust, and emotional connection with their partner. Scores on each subscale typically range from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater attachment anxiety or greater attachment avoidance.
Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
Reflective Functioning (Reflective Functioning Questionnaire)
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
The Reflective Functioning Questionnaire - RFQ-8 is a brief self-report measure developed by Fonagy and colleagues to assess reflective functioning, or mentalizing-the ability to understand one's own and others' thoughts, feelings, and intentions. In couple research, it helps evaluate how well partners can interpret each other's behavior in emotionally meaningful ways, which is essential for healthy communication and emotional connection.
Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
Communication Patterns (Communication Patterns Questionnaire)
Tidsramme: Masured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup
Communication Patterns Questionnaire - Short Form (CPQ-SF) Developed by Christensen and Sullaway, the CPQ-SF is a self-report measure that assesses how couples communicate during conflict. It focuses on typical interaction styles-such as constructive communication, avoidance, and demand-withdraw patterns-providing insight into how partners argue and resolve disagreements in their relationship.
Masured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup

Samarbejdspartnere og efterforskere

Det er her, du vil finde personer og organisationer, der er involveret i denne undersøgelse.

Sponsor

University of Helsinki

Samarbejdspartnere

City of Helsinki

Datoer for undersøgelser

Disse datoer sporer fremskridtene for indsendelser af undersøgelsesrekord og resumeresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieregistreringer og rapporterede resultater gennemgås af National Library of Medicine (NLM) for at sikre, at de opfylder specifikke kvalitetskontrolstandarder, før de offentliggøres på den offentlige hjemmeside.

Studer store datoer

Studiestart (Faktiske)

11. november 2025

Primær færdiggørelse (Anslået)

31. december 2028

Studieafslutning (Anslået)

30. juni 2029

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først indsendt

12. maj 2026

Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier

19. maj 2026

Først opslået (Faktiske)

22. maj 2026

Opdateringer af undersøgelsesjournaler

Sidste opdatering sendt (Faktiske)

22. maj 2026

Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier

19. maj 2026

Sidst verificeret

1. maj 2026

Mere information

Begreber relateret til denne undersøgelse

Nøgleord

Yderligere relevante MeSH-vilkår

Andre undersøgelses-id-numre

  • nro 20/2024

Plan for individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)

Planlægger du at dele individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)?

INGEN

IPD-planbeskrivelse

Individual participant data cannot be shared due to strict confidentiality and data protection regulations. These data contain sensitive health-related information and personal identifiers, and sharing them could compromise participants' privacy. All data are handled in accordance with ethical guidelines and legal standards to ensure the protection of participants' rights and well-being.

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Kliniske forsøg med Sund voksen

Kliniske forsøg med Self-Help Program for Couples

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