Interparental ConflictNCT07816445
Pilot Study of an Interparental Conflict Intervention for Separating or Divorcing Parents
A study testing Family COMPASS and Families in Transition (FIT) in people with Interparental Conflict and Child Mental Health, run by Arizona State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This pilot study will evaluate a new intervention for parents who are separated or divorced and have been court ordered to participate in a program addressing interparental conflict. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 88 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Interparental Conflict, Child Mental Health
- What is being tested?
- Family COMPASS and Families in Transition (FIT)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 94 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 May 2026to 1 Feb 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 88 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 18 years or older
- Fluent in English
- Court ordered to attend an intervention to reduce interparental conflict
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Sharlene A Wolchik, PhD contact
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, 85287
Karey L O'Hara, PhD, 480-727-3623, klohara@asu.edu
About this study
Official title: Pilot Study to Test Effects of a New Interparental Conflict Intervention for Separating or Divorcing Parents
This pilot study will evaluate a new intervention for parents who are separated or divorced and have been court ordered to participate in a program addressing interparental conflict. The intervention is designed to teach parents skills to reduce children's exposure to conflict between parents and support children's well-being. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the new intervention or an existing court-based program. The study will examine the feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and usability of the new intervention and its effects on interparental conflict, parents' use of protective skills, and children's mental health.
Read the detailed description
This study is a randomized pilot trial of a new, scalable intervention for separating or divorcing parents experiencing interparental conflict. The intervention was developed by adapting components of existing evidence-based interventions using human-centered design methods. The intervention is designed to teach parents skills for reducing children's exposure to interparental conflict and protecting children's mental health and well-being.
Approximately 94 parents who are court ordered to participate in an intervention addressing interparental conflict will be randomly assigned to either the new intervention or an existing court-based program. The new intervention is expected to include an orientation session followed by three or four digital sessions. The pilot study will evaluate implementation outcomes, including feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and usability, as well as preliminary effects on interparental conflict and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. The study will also examine parents' use of skills intended to protect children from interparental conflict and interpersonal violence and parents' emotion-regulation skills.
- Conditions
- Interparental Conflict, Child Mental Health
- Being tested
- Family COMPASS, Families in Transition (FIT)
- Keywords
- Parental Separation, Divorce, Interparental Conflict, Co-Parenting, Parent Education, Parenting Intervention, Children of Divorced Parents, Child Internalizing Problems, Child Externalizing Problems, Preventive Intervention, Family Court
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Family COMPASSBehavioural
Family COMPASS (Conflict Management through Purposeful Awareness, Strategies, and Support) is a manualized, trauma-informed parenting intervention designed to reduce children's exposure to interparental conflict following parental separation or divorce. The intervention consists of four highly structured, approximately 30-minute sessions delivered virtually or in person by trained personnel. It focuses on strengthening parents' emotion regulation, communication, co-parenting, conflict management, and safety planning skills.
Families in Transition (FIT)Behavioural
FIT is a 90-minute online parent education program developed by the Superior Court of Maricopa County in collaboration with the National Center for State Courts. The program includes four modules, a film, and interactive activities. It validates parents' difficult feelings toward their co-parent while emphasizing behavior change to protect children from interparental conflict. Content addresses the effects of interparental conflict on children, prioritizing children's needs, developing a child-focused vision for the future, and using practical strategies to reduce conflict behaviors.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Family COMPASS | Experimental | Participants receive Family COMPASS, a four-session parenting intervention for parents experiencing high levels of interparental conflict following separation or divorce. Receives: Behavioral: Family COMPASS |
| Families in Transition (FIT) | Active comparator | Participants receive FIT, an existing 90-minute online parent education program designed to help separating or divorcing parents reduce interparental conflict and children's exposure to conflict. Receives: Behavioral: Families in Transition (FIT) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Child Anxiety Symptoms
Parent-reported child anxiety symptoms assessed using the Anxiety subscale of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-25 Parent Version (RCADS-25-P). The Anxiety subscale contains 15 items rated from 0 (Never) to 3 (Always). Raw scores range from 0 to 45, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptoms.
Measured: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Child Depressive Symptoms
Parent-reported child depressive symptoms assessed using the Depression subscale of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-25 Parent Version (RCADS-25-P). The Depression subscale contains 10 items rated from 0 (Never) to 3 (Always). Raw scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptoms.
Measured: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Child Irritability/Anger
Parent-reported child irritability and anger assessed using the irritability/anger item of the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure-Parent/Guardian-Rated Measure for Children Ages 6-17. The item is rated from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Nearly every day). Scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater irritability/anger.
Measured: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Child Attention Problems
Parent-reported child attention problems assessed using the attention item of the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure-Parent/Guardian-Rated Measure for Children Ages 6-17. The item is rated from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Nearly every day). Scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater attention problems.
Measured: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Interparental Conflict
Parent-reported interparental conflict assessed using the 13-item intensity and frequency subscales of the Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale, adapted for parent report. Items are rated on a 3-point scale and appropriately reverse-scored. Using summed item scores coded from 0 to 2, total scores range from 0 to 26, with higher scores indicating greater interparental conflict.
Measured: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Intervention Feasibility
Parent-reported feasibility assessed using the 4-item Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM). Items are rated from 1 (Completely disagree) to 5 (Completely agree), with scores ranging from 4 to 20. Higher scores indicate greater perceived feasibility.
Measured: Approximately 30 days after program completion
Intervention Acceptability
Parent-reported acceptability assessed using the 4-item Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM). Items are rated from 1 (Completely disagree) to 5 (Completely agree), with scores ranging from 4 to 20. Higher scores indicate greater acceptability.
Measured: Approximately 30 days after program completion
Intervention Appropriateness
Parent-reported appropriateness assessed using the 4-item Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM). Items are rated from 1 (Completely disagree) to 5 (Completely agree), with scores ranging from 4 to 20. Higher scores indicate greater perceived appropriateness.
Measured: Approximately 30 days after program completion
Intervention Usability
Parent-reported intervention usability assessed using the 10-item Intervention Usability Scale (IUS). Items are rated on a 5-point agreement scale. Positively and negatively worded items are scored according to standard IUS scoring procedures, and the summed score is multiplied by 2.5. Total scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater perceived intervention usability.
Measured: Approximately 30 days after program completion
Secondary outcomes (3)
Emotion Regulation Difficulties
Parent-reported difficulties in emotion regulation assessed using the 16-item Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-SF). Items are rated from 1 (Almost Never) to 5 (Almost Always), with total scores ranging from 16 to 80. Higher scores indicate greater difficulties with emotion regulation.
Measured: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Confidence in Making a Safety Plan for Self
Parent-reported confidence in the ability to make a safety plan for oneself, assessed using a single-item rating scale ranging from 0 (Not at all confident) to 100 (Completely confident). Higher scores indicate greater confidence in safety planning.
Measured: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Confidence in Making a Safety Plan for Children
Parent-reported confidence in the ability to make a safety plan for one's child or children, assessed using a single-item rating scale ranging from 0 (Not at all confident) to 100 (Completely confident). Higher scores indicate greater confidence in safety planning.
Measured: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 Sep 2026
- Study start1 May 2026
- Primary completion1 Feb 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Feb 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Interparental ConflictStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 94 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Arizona State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07816445
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00015304
- Other IDs
- R34MH126052
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 28 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 11 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Pilot Study to Test Effects of a New Interparental Conflict Intervention for Separating or Divorcing Parents
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07816445
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STUDY00015304
- Conditions
- Interparental Conflict, Child Mental Health
- Keywords
- Parental Separation, Divorce, Interparental Conflict, Co-Parenting, Parent Education, Parenting Intervention, Children of Divorced Parents, Child Internalizing Problems
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 94 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Arizona State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Study start
- 1 May 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Feb 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Feb 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 11 Sep 2026 (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 pilot study will evaluate a new intervention for parents who are separated or divorced and have been court ordered to participate in a program addressing interparental conflict. The intervention is designed to teach parents skills to reduce children's exposure to conflict between parents and support children's well-being. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the new intervention or an existing court-based program. The study will examine the feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and usability of the new intervention and its effects on interparental conflict, parents' use of protective skills, and children's mental health.
Detailed description
This study is a randomized pilot trial of a new, scalable intervention for separating or divorcing parents experiencing interparental conflict. The intervention was developed by adapting components of existing evidence-based interventions using human-centered design methods. The intervention is designed to teach parents skills for reducing children's exposure to interparental conflict and protecting children's mental health and well-being.
Approximately 94 parents who are court ordered to participate in an intervention addressing interparental conflict will be randomly assigned to either the new intervention or an existing court-based program. The new intervention is expected to include an orientation session followed by three or four digital sessions. The pilot study will evaluate implementation outcomes, including feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and usability, as well as preliminary effects on interparental conflict and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. The study will also examine parents' use of skills intended to protect children from interparental conflict and interpersonal violence and parents' emotion-regulation skills.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Family COMPASS | Experimental | Behavioral: Family COMPASSParticipants receive Family COMPASS, a four-session parenting intervention for parents experiencing high levels of interparental conflict following separation or divorce. |
| Families in Transition (FIT) | Active comparator | Behavioral: Families in Transition (FIT)Participants receive FIT, an existing 90-minute online parent education program designed to help separating or divorcing parents reduce interparental conflict and children's exposure to conflict. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 88 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Age 18 years or older
- Fluent in English
- Court ordered to attend an intervention to reduce interparental conflict
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
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 COMPASSFamily COMPASS (Conflict Management through Purposeful Awareness, Strategies, and Support) is a manualized, trauma-informed parenting intervention designed to reduce children's exposure to interparental conflict following parental separation or divorce. The intervention consists of four highly structured, approximately 30-minute sessions delivered virtually or in person by trained personnel. It focuses on strengthening parents' emotion regulation, communication, co-parenting, conflict management, and safety planning skills. | Behavioural | Family COMPASS |
| Families in Transition (FIT)FIT is a 90-minute online parent education program developed by the Superior Court of Maricopa County in collaboration with the National Center for State Courts. The program includes four modules, a film, and interactive activities. It validates parents' difficult feelings toward their co-parent while emphasizing behavior change to protect children from interparental conflict. Content addresses the effects of interparental conflict on children, prioritizing children's needs, developing a child-focused vision for the future, and using practical strategies to reduce conflict behaviors. | Behavioural | Families in Transition (FIT) |
Primary outcome
Child Anxiety Symptoms
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported child anxiety symptoms assessed using the Anxiety subscale of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-25 Parent Version (RCADS-25-P). The Anxiety subscale contains 15 items rated from 0 (Never) to 3 (Always). Raw scores range from 0 to 45, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptoms.
Child Depressive Symptoms
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported child depressive symptoms assessed using the Depression subscale of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-25 Parent Version (RCADS-25-P). The Depression subscale contains 10 items rated from 0 (Never) to 3 (Always). Raw scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptoms.
Child Irritability/Anger
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported child irritability and anger assessed using the irritability/anger item of the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure-Parent/Guardian-Rated Measure for Children Ages 6-17. The item is rated from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Nearly every day). Scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater irritability/anger.
Child Attention Problems
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported child attention problems assessed using the attention item of the DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure-Parent/Guardian-Rated Measure for Children Ages 6-17. The item is rated from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Nearly every day). Scores range from 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating greater attention problems.
Interparental Conflict
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported interparental conflict assessed using the 13-item intensity and frequency subscales of the Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale, adapted for parent report. Items are rated on a 3-point scale and appropriately reverse-scored. Using summed item scores coded from 0 to 2, total scores range from 0 to 26, with higher scores indicating greater interparental conflict.
Intervention Feasibility
Time frame: Approximately 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported feasibility assessed using the 4-item Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM). Items are rated from 1 (Completely disagree) to 5 (Completely agree), with scores ranging from 4 to 20. Higher scores indicate greater perceived feasibility.
Intervention Acceptability
Time frame: Approximately 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported acceptability assessed using the 4-item Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM). Items are rated from 1 (Completely disagree) to 5 (Completely agree), with scores ranging from 4 to 20. Higher scores indicate greater acceptability.
Intervention Appropriateness
Time frame: Approximately 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported appropriateness assessed using the 4-item Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM). Items are rated from 1 (Completely disagree) to 5 (Completely agree), with scores ranging from 4 to 20. Higher scores indicate greater perceived appropriateness.
Intervention Usability
Time frame: Approximately 30 days after program completion
Parent-reported intervention usability assessed using the 10-item Intervention Usability Scale (IUS). Items are rated on a 5-point agreement scale. Positively and negatively worded items are scored according to standard IUS scoring procedures, and the summed score is multiplied by 2.5. Total scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater perceived intervention usability.
3 secondary outcomes
Emotion Regulation Difficulties
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Confidence in Making a Safety Plan for Self
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Confidence in Making a Safety Plan for Children
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Interparental Conflict
Recruiting
Healing Hearts: A Mindfulness App for Parents Navigating Divorce or Separation
Mental Health, Parenting / Maternal Behavior
Recruiting
The New Beginnings Podcast: Brief Audio Intervention for Parents From Divorced and Separated Families
Parent Child Relationship, Parenting Intervention
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.
Sharlene A Wolchik, PhD contact
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 COMPASS and Families in Transition (FIT) in people with Interparental Conflict and Child Mental Health, run by Arizona State University 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 3 inclusion and 0 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Sep 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Karey L O'Hara, PhD (480-727-6136, klohara@asu.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Child Anxiety Symptoms (time frame: Baseline and 30 days after program completion). The study lists 9 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 11 Sep 2026.