Couples, Relational Problems, Relationship, Marital
Conditions
Brief summary
This RCT will test the marginal benefit of adding economic-focused services to traditional relationship education (RE) interventions. 344 couples will be randomly assigned to the RE only or RE plus economic-services condition. All couples will be assessed at baseline, 6-weeks, 6-months, and 12-months. This project will examine whether couples in the RE plus condition have better relationship and economic outcomes than couples in the RE only condition.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALFamily Wellness
https://familywellness.com/
BEHAVIORALCareer Coaching
Individualized career coaching and employment services.
BEHAVIORALFinancial Planning
Individualized financial planning services.
Sponsors
University of Texas at Austin
Department of Health and Human Services
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* couples involved in a romantic relationship
Exclusion criteria
* current domestic violence or child maltreatment
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Relationship satisfaction | From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months | Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-4). |
| Changes in Positive Communication | From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months | Seven items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: "My partner and I were good at working out our differences." |
| Changes in Negative Communication | From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months | Nine items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: "My partner was rude or mean to me when we disagree." |
| Changes in Income | From baseline to 6-months, 12-months | Single item: "How much would you say you personally as an individual earned in total from all work in the last month, before taxes and deductions?" Open numeric response |
| Changes in Financial Strain | From baseline to 6-months, 12-months | Five items assess the degree of difficulty the household has had fulfilling financial obligations and purchasing necessary items. Items scored on a 4-point scale and averaged. |
| Changes in Financial Capability | From baseline to 6-months, 12-months | Six items assess capability to manage household finances, (e.g., "In the last 2 months, have you been charged a late fee on a loan or bill?"). Items summed to form an index with range of 0-8 (two 3-point items, four 2-point items. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in Support and Affection | From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months | Five items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: "My partner knows and understands me." |
| Changes in Wealth | From baseline to 6-months, 12-months | Single item: "About how much money does your household have saved somewhere (in a savings account, 401k, hidden cash envelope, etc.)?" Open numeric response |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed