The Effectiveness of Couple Therapy and Relationship Support (ECoT)
19. mai 2026 oppdatert av: 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Short Manualized Emotionally Focused Couple Intervention: Five face-to-face sessions with a couple therapist.
- 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.
Studieoversikt
Status
Påmelding etter invitasjon
Forhold
Studietype
Intervensjonell
Registrering (Antatt)
400
Fase
- Ikke aktuelt
Kontakter og plasseringer
Denne delen inneholder kontaktinformasjon for de som utfører studien, og informasjon om hvor denne studien blir utført.
Studiesteder
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Helsinki, Finland
- Relationship Counselling
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Deltakelseskriterier
Forskere ser etter personer som passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kalt kvalifikasjonskriterier. Noen eksempler på disse kriteriene er en persons generelle helsetilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.
Kvalifikasjonskriterier
Alder som er kvalifisert for studier
- Voksen
- Eldre voksen
Tar imot friske 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
Denne delen gir detaljer om studieplanen, inkludert hvordan studien er utformet og hva studien måler.
Hvordan er studiet utformet?
Designdetaljer
- Primært formål: Støttende omsorg
- Tildeling: Randomisert
- Intervensjonsmodell: Parallell tildeling
- Masking: Ingen (Open Label)
Våpen og intervensjoner
Deltakergruppe / Arm |
Intervensjon / Behandling |
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Eksperimentell: HUS Self-help for Couples
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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.
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Eksperimentell: Peloton Parisuhde (eng Fearless Relationship) Online Course
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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.
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Eksperimentell: Manualized Short-Term EFT-Based Couple Intervention
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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.
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Eksperimentell: Standard Face-to-Face Couple Therapy (Treatment as Usual)
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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.
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Ingen inngripen: 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.
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Hva måler studien?
Primære resultatmål
Resultatmål |
Tiltaksbeskrivelse |
Tidsramme |
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Relationship Satisfaction (Dyadic Adjustment Scale)
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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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.
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Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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Depression severity (Patient Health Questionnaire-9)
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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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.
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Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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Anxiety Severity (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7)
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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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.
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Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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Sekundære resultatmål
Resultatmål |
Tiltaksbeskrivelse |
Tidsramme |
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Adult Attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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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.
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Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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Reflective Functioning (Reflective Functioning Questionnaire)
Tidsramme: Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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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.
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Measured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup.
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Communication Patterns (Communication Patterns Questionnaire)
Tidsramme: Masured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup
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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.
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Masured at enrollment before randomization, after treatment (or waitlist condition) and at a 4 months followup
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Studer hoveddatoer
Studiestart (Faktiske)
11. november 2025
Primær fullføring (Antatt)
31. desember 2028
Studiet fullført (Antatt)
30. juni 2029
Datoer for studieregistrering
Først innsendt
12. mai 2026
Først innsendt som oppfylte QC-kriteriene
19. mai 2026
Først lagt ut (Faktiske)
22. mai 2026
Oppdateringer av studieposter
Sist oppdatering lagt ut (Faktiske)
22. mai 2026
Siste oppdatering sendt inn som oppfylte QC-kriteriene
19. mai 2026
Sist bekreftet
1. mai 2026
Mer informasjon
Begreper knyttet til denne studien
Nøkkelord
Ytterligere relevante MeSH-vilkår
Andre studie-ID-numre
- nro 20/2024
Plan for individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)
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NEI
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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