Self-help programs for parenting couples with relationship conflict

Self-help Interventions for Parenting Couples Experiencing Couple Distress: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

This trial tests whether two self-help options—an online guided OurRelationship program and a book-based bibliotherapy—help parenting couples in Denmark who have high relationship conflict or distress.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 700 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: University of Aarhus (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Aarhus, Region Midt)
• Trial ID: NCT07125118 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This randomized trial will enroll 350 cohabiting parenting couples in participating Danish municipalities and randomly assign them to the online OurRelationship program, couple-focused bibliotherapy, or a waitlist control. The primary outcome is change in communication conflict between partners, with child well-being as a key secondary outcome for children who show problems at baseline. Participants complete online questionnaires at baseline, 10 weeks (post-intervention), and at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. Recruitment and enrollment are done via an online platform and municipal family services across multiple Danish sites.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are cohabiting parenting couples in a participating Danish municipality with at least one child under 18 at home who report high levels of conflict or low relationship satisfaction, can read Danish, and have internet access.

Not a fit: People planning to separate or divorce, those with an ongoing affair, moderate to severe suicidal ideation, or cases of more severe intimate partner violence are excluded and may not benefit from these self-help options.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, these low-intensity self-help approaches could reduce couple conflict and indirectly improve child well-being using scalable, easily delivered interventions.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research on the OurRelationship program and other online couple interventions has shown positive effects on relationship functioning, while bibliotherapy has shown smaller and more mixed benefits.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Meet at least one of the two following criteria: (1) Destructive conflict: one or both partners report being a victim or perpetrator of at least one act of physical or psychological aggression in the past three months (see exclusion criteria for intimate partner violence) OR (2) Couple distress: One partner scores ≤11 (1 SD below the Danish population mean), or both partners score ≤13 (0.5 SD below the Danish population mean) on the Couple Satisfaction Index-4 (CSI-4).
* Both partners are at least 18 years old.
* Cohabiting.
* Have at least one child under 18 living at home.
* Reside in a participating Danish municipality.
* Completed the baseline survey.
* Able to read and understand Danish.
* Have internet access and a compatible device (computer, tablet, or smartphone).
* Agree not to engage in couple therapy prior to the 3-month follow-up.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Current plans to divorce or separate.
* Ongoing affair.
* Moderate to severe suicidal ideation.
* Recent incident of intimate partner violence resulting in physical injury or fear for the safety or well-being of oneself or one's children.

Where this trial is running

Aarhus, Region Midt

• Aarhus University — Aarhus, Region Midt, Denmark (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Tea Trillingsgaard, Ph.D — University of Aarhus
• Study coordinator: Tea Trillingsgaard, PH.D.

Conditions: Marital Conflict, Self-help intervention, OurRelationship program, internet intervention, bibliotherapy, relationship distress, relationship satisfaction, communication conflict