The Effectiveness of Couple Therapy and Relationship Support (ECoT)
2026年5月19日 更新者：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.
研究概览
地位
邀请报名
条件
研究类型
介入性
注册 (估计的)
400
阶段
- 不适用
联系人和位置
本节提供了进行研究的人员的详细联系信息，以及有关进行该研究的地点的信息。
学习地点
-
-
-
Helsinki、芬兰
- Relationship Counselling
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-
参与标准
研究人员寻找符合特定描述的人，称为资格标准。这些标准的一些例子是一个人的一般健康状况或先前的治疗。
资格标准
适合学习的年龄
- 成人
- 年长者
接受健康志愿者
是的
描述
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.
学习计划
本节提供研究计划的详细信息，包括研究的设计方式和研究的衡量标准。
研究是如何设计的？
设计细节
- 主要用途：支持治疗
- 分配：随机化
- 介入模型：并行分配
- 屏蔽：无（打开标签）
武器和干预
参与者组/臂 |
干预/治疗 |
|---|---|
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实验性的：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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实验性的：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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实验性的：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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实验性的：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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无干预：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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研究衡量的是什么？
主要结果指标
结果测量 |
措施说明 |
大体时间 |
|---|---|---|
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Relationship Satisfaction (Dyadic Adjustment Scale)
大体时间：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)
大体时间：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)
大体时间：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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次要结果测量
结果测量 |
措施说明 |
大体时间 |
|---|---|---|
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Adult Attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised
大体时间：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)
大体时间：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)
大体时间：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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合作者和调查者
在这里您可以找到参与这项研究的人员和组织。
研究记录日期
这些日期跟踪向 ClinicalTrials.gov 提交研究记录和摘要结果的进度。研究记录和报告的结果由国家医学图书馆 (NLM) 审查，以确保它们在发布到公共网站之前符合特定的质量控制标准。
研究主要日期
学习开始 (实际的)
2025年11月11日
初级完成 (估计的)
2028年12月31日
研究完成 (估计的)
2029年6月30日
研究注册日期
首次提交
2026年5月12日
首先提交符合 QC 标准的
2026年5月19日
首次发布 (实际的)
2026年5月22日
研究记录更新
最后更新发布 (实际的)
2026年5月22日
上次提交的符合 QC 标准的更新
2026年5月19日
最后验证
2026年5月1日
更多信息
与本研究相关的术语
其他研究编号
- nro 20/2024
计划个人参与者数据 (IPD)
计划共享个人参与者数据 (IPD)？
不
IPD 计划说明
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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研究美国 FDA 监管的药品
不
研究美国 FDA 监管的设备产品
不
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