CouplesNCT05359185
Empowering Families Project
A study testing Family Wellness, Career Coaching and Financial Planning in people with Couples and Relationship, Marital, run by University of Texas at Austin at 1 site in United States.
Trial 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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Couples, Relationship, Marital, Relational Problems
- What is being tested?
- Family Wellness, Career Coaching and Financial Planning
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 666 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 May 2022to 29 Sep 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- couples involved in a romantic relationship
Who cannot join
- current domestic violence or child maltreatment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Empowering Families Project: An RCT of the Effects of Relationship Education With and Without Ancillary Economic Services on Family Outcomes
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.
- Conditions
- Couples, Relationship, Marital, Relational Problems
- Being tested
- Family Wellness, Career Coaching, Financial Planning
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Family WellnessBehavioural
https://familywellness.com/
Career CoachingBehavioural
Individualized career coaching and employment services.
Financial PlanningBehavioural
Individualized financial planning services.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment-only | Experimental | Participants in the this group will receive core Relationship Education programming, which consists of six weekly 2.5-hour Family Wellness Workshops. Receives: Behavioral: Family Wellness |
| Treatment-Plus | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive an enhanced model that includes the core RE programming, and adds economic-focused services which include two 2.5-hour workshops (one on financial planning and one on career coaching), as well as individual financial planning and career coaching services ongoing for up to one year. Receives: Behavioral: Family Wellness; Behavioral: Career Coaching; Behavioral: Financial Planning |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Relationship satisfaction
Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-4).
Measured: From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months
Changes in Positive Communication
Seven items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: "My partner and I were good at working out our differences."
Measured: From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months
Changes in Negative Communication
Nine items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: "My partner was rude or mean to me when we disagree."
Measured: From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months
Changes in Income
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
Measured: From baseline to 6-months, 12-months
Changes in Financial Strain
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.
Measured: From baseline to 6-months, 12-months
Changes in Financial Capability
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.
Measured: From baseline to 6-months, 12-months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Changes in Support and Affection
Five items, scored on four-point scale and averaged. Sample item: "My partner knows and understands me."
Measured: From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months
Changes in Wealth
Single item: "About how much money does your household have saved somewhere (in a savings account, 401k, hidden cash envelope, etc.)?" Open numeric response
Measured: From baseline to 6-months, 12-months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 May 2022
- Study start1 May 2022
- Primary completion29 Sep 2025
- Study completion29 Sep 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CouplesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 666 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Texas at Austin
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hannah Williamson, University of Texas at Austin
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05359185
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 90ZB0025
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Apr 2022
- Last updated
- 10 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: Fully de-identified datasets may be shared with other researchers in the future.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Empowering Families Project: An RCT of the Effects of Relationship Education With and Without Ancillary Economic Services on Family Outcomes
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05359185
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 90ZB0025
- Conditions
- Couples, Relationship, Marital, Relational Problems
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 666 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Texas at AustinUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Study start
- 1 May 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 29 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 29 Sep 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 May 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment-only | Experimental | Behavioral: Family WellnessParticipants in the this group will receive core Relationship Education programming, which consists of six weekly 2.5-hour Family Wellness Workshops. |
| Treatment-Plus | Experimental | Behavioral: Family Wellness, Behavioral: Career Coaching, Behavioral: Financial PlanningParticipants in this group will receive an enhanced model that includes the core RE programming, and adds economic-focused services which include two 2.5-hour workshops (one on financial planning and one on career coaching), as well as individual financial planning and career coaching services ongoing for up to one year. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- couples involved in a romantic relationship
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- current domestic violence or child maltreatment
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Family Wellnesshttps://familywellness.com/ | Behavioural | Treatment-Plus, Treatment-only |
| Career CoachingIndividualized career coaching and employment services. | Behavioural | Treatment-Plus |
| Financial PlanningIndividualized financial planning services. | Behavioural | Treatment-Plus |
Primary outcome
Change in Relationship satisfaction
Time frame: From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months
Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-4).
Changes in Positive Communication
Time frame: 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
Time frame: 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
Time frame: 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
Time frame: 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
Time frame: 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.
2 secondary outcomes
Changes in Support and Affection
Time frame: From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months
Changes in Wealth
Time frame: From baseline to 6-months, 12-months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. Fully de-identified datasets may be shared with other researchers in the future.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Family Wellness, Career Coaching and Financial Planning in people with Couples and Relationship, Marital, run by University of Texas at Austin at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Relationship satisfaction (time frame: From baseline to 6-weeks, 6-months, 12-months). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Feb 2026.