Empirically-Based Couple Interventions on the Web: Serving the Underserved

NCT03292692 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: 20120378R01HD059802
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 600
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Although several empirically-supported interventions to prevent and treat relationship distress have been developed, the majority of couples - especially high-risk couples - do not seek these face-to-face interventions. However, our pilot data indicate that large numbers of couples will seek self-administered assistance for their relationship. Additionally, unlike many in-person interventions, couples seeking self-help resources tend to have higher levels of relationship distress. Thus, to improve the reach of couple interventions, this project will translate a leading empirically-supported intervention targeting early signs of relationship distress into a Web-based format. This intervention will consist of individualized feedback and professionally-filmed video clips tailored to a couple's specific needs. By intervening effectively with a large number of couples, the resulting Web-based intervention has the potential to have a population-level impact on relationship distress, divorce, and resulting child difficulties. In the proposed project, building off our previous pilot studies, effective translation of this in-person intervention into a Web-based format will be ensured by conducting two additional intensive pilot studies. Once final changes have been made to the website and Web-based intervention, 300 couples will be randomly assigned to a wait-list control group or an online intervention. All couples will be assessed for the initial two months; intervention couples will be assessed for one year. This project will: 1) demonstrate that couples randomly assigned to the online intervention will report higher levels of individual, child, and relationship functioning than those in the wait-list control group; 2) document the mechanisms of both active conditions; and 3) show that initial gains in those assigned to the intervention are largely maintained through one-year follow-up.

Conditions

Relationship, Marital; Marital Conflict

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Relationship Satisfaction

  Relationship satisfaction as measured by the total scale on the four-item version of the Couple Satisfaction Index (Funk \& Rogge, 2007; doi: 10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572). Scores on this measure range from 0-21, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction.

  Pre (0 weeks), Mid (3 weeks), and Post (approximately 6 weeks)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Relationship Confidence

  Pre (0 weeks), Mid (3 weeks), and Post (approximately 6 weeks)

• Depressive Symptoms

  Pre (0 weeks) and Post (approximately 6 weeks)

• Anxiety Symptoms

  Pre (0 weeks) and Post (approximately 6 weeks)

Study Arms (2)

OurRelationship

EXPERIMENTAL

Online Intervention

Behavioral: OurRelationship

Waitlist Control

NO INTERVENTION

2 month waiting period before couples can receive intervention

Interventions

OurRelationship BEHAVIORAL

Online intervention with coach support

Also known as: OurRelationship.com

OurRelationship

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 64 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Currently in a heterosexual relationship
• Currently married, engaged, or cohabiting for at least 6 months
• At least one partner scoring in distressed range of relationship satisfaction (or both partners \> 0.5 SD of population mean of distress).
• Living in the United States
• Both partners ages 21-64 (inclusive)

You may not qualify if:

• Severe Intimate Partner Violence in last 3 months
• Moderate to severe suicidal ideation in last 3 months
• Concrete plans to divorce
• Ongoing affair
• Ongoing couple therapy (or refusal to seek couple therapy for 3 months)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Miami: lead
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): collaborator
• University of California, Los Angeles: collaborator
• University of Washington: collaborator

Related Publications (4)

• Doss BD, Cicila LN, Georgia EJ, Roddy MK, Nowlan KM, Benson LA, Christensen A. A randomized controlled trial of the web-based OurRelationship program: Effects on relationship and individual functioning. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2016 Apr;84(4):285-96. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000063. Epub 2016 Jan 25.

  PMID: 26999504 RESULT

• Roddy MK, Georgia EJ, Doss BD. Couples with Intimate Partner Violence Seeking Relationship Help: Associations and Implications for Self-Help and Online Interventions. Fam Process. 2018 Jun;57(2):293-307. doi: 10.1111/famp.12291. Epub 2017 Apr 20.

  PMID: 28425562 RESULT

• Roddy MK, Stamatis CA, Rothman K, Doss BD. Mechanisms of change in a brief, online relationship intervention. J Fam Psychol. 2020 Feb;34(1):57-67. doi: 10.1037/fam0000569. Epub 2019 Aug 5.

  PMID: 31380690 DERIVED

• Doss BD, Roddy MK, Llabre MM, Georgia Salivar E, Jensen-Doss A. Improvements in coparenting conflict and child adjustment following an online program for relationship distress. J Fam Psychol. 2020 Feb;34(1):68-78. doi: 10.1037/fam0000582. Epub 2019 Aug 5.

  PMID: 31380688 DERIVED

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Brian Doss
• Organization: University of Miami

bdoss@miami.edu

305-284-1101

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 20, 2017
• First Posted: September 25, 2017
• Study Start: August 13, 2013
• Primary Completion: October 18, 2014
• Study Completion: October 18, 2014
• Last Updated: February 12, 2018
• Results First Posted: February 12, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Available 2018-2020