A Randomized Controlled Trial of Coach Contact During a Brief Online Intervention for Distressed Couples

The negative impacts of relationship distress on the couple, the family, and the individual are well-known. However, couples are often unable to access effective treatments to combat these effects—including many couples who might be at highest risk for relationship distress. Online self-help interventions decrease the barriers to treatment and provide couples with high quality, research-based programs they can do on their own. Using a combined multiple baseline and randomized design, the present study investigated the effectiveness of the Brief OurRelationship.com (Brief-OR) program with and without staff support in improving relationship distress and individual functioning. Results indicated the program produced significant gains in several areas of relationship functioning; however, these gains were smaller in magnitude than those observed in Full-OR. Furthermore, effects of Brief-OR were not sustained over follow-up. Comparisons between couples randomized to Brief-OR with and without contact with a staff coach indicated that coach contact significantly reduced program noncompletion and improved program effects. Limitations and future directions are discussed.