The goal of this clinical trial is to find out whether learning about well-being impacts the thoughts and feelings of romantic couples. The main question it aims to answer is: * Does gaining knowledge about well-being positively impact individuals and their romantic relationships? Participants will complete online surveys about their thoughts and feelings.
This study will deliver a meditation-based mobile intervention (The Healthy Minds Program) to one member of a long-term romantic couple and will assess for relationship satisfaction/distress, well-being, and mindfulness in both the primary participant and their partner. The control group will receive a list of well-being-based psychoeducation resources.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
2,000
The HMP app is a meditation-based smartphone app designed to promote and protect psychological well-being through sustainable skills training. The program is grounded in constituents of psychological well-being identified in empirical literature. HMP provides core content, with instruction administered through a curriculum of guided practices. HMP has guided audio practices that address 4 constituents of well-being: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose.
Participants will be given a list of resources that promote well-being.
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Change in Composite of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Depression
A measure of feelings of depression scored from 1 to 5 where higher numbers indicate increased feelings of depression. Full range of scores is 28-140.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up, 1-Year Follow-Up, 2-Year Follow-Up
Change in Second-Person PHQ-9
PHQ-9 as assessed by the partner. PHQ-9 is a 9 item survey about how often in the past 2 weeks their partner were bothered by specific problems. It is scored on a 4-point Likert scale, where 0=not at all and 4=nearly every day. Scores range from 0-36, where higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up, 1-Year Follow-Up, 2-Year Follow-Up
Change in PHQ-9
PHQ-9 is a 9 item questionnaire where participants report how often in the past 2 weeks they were bothered by specific problems. It is scored on a 4-point Likert scale, where 0=not at all and 4=nearly every day. Scores range from 0-36, where higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up, 1-Year Follow-Up, 2-Year Follow-Up
Change in Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-16)
CSI-16 scores can range from 0 to 81. Higher scores indicate higher levels of relationship satisfaction. CSI-16 scores falling below 51.5 suggest notable relationship dissatisfaction.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up, 1-Year Follow-Up, 2-Year Follow-Up
Change in Sussex-Oxford Compassion for the Self Scale (SOCS-S)
SOCS-S is a 20 item survey asking how the participant relates to themself. It is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = not at all true and 5 = always true. Scores range from 20-100, with higher scores indicating greater self-compassion.
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Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Relationship Longevity
The relationship longevity questionnaire asks participants about their relationship status at the end of study participation.
Time frame: Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up, 1-Year Follow-Up, 2-Year Follow-Up
Change in Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS 3)
PRIUSS 3 is a 3 item questionnaire regarding internet use. It is scored on a 4-point Likert scale where 0=never and 4=very often. Total scores range from 0-12 with higher scores indicating greater problems with internet use.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up, 1-Year Follow-Up, 2-Year Follow-Up
Change in Second-Person Sussex-Oxford Compassion for the Self Scale (SOCS-S)
SOCS-S is a 20 item survey about how your partner might relate to themself. It is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = not at all true and 5 = always true. Scores range from 20-100, with higher scores indicating greater self compassion.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Relationship Attribution Measure
The relationship attribution measure is a 6 item survey about critical behavior the participant's partner might do. It is scored on a 6-point Likert scale, where 1 = disagree strongly and 6 = agree strongly. Scores range from 6-36, with higher scores indicating greater dissatisfaction with their partner's criticism.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Partner Acceptance Scale
The Partner Acceptance Scale is a 5-item scale measuring to what extent the respondent acknowledges his/her partner's imperfections without feeling the urge to change them. It is scored using a 7-point Likert Scale. 1=totally disagree and 7=totally agree. Higher scores indicate greater acceptance of imperfections.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Observed Mindfulness Measure
The Observed Mindfulness Measure is a 9 item questionnaire answered by the participant about what they observe about their partner's mindfulness. It is scored on a 5-point Likert scale where 1=not at all and 5=all the time. Scores range from 9-45, with higher scores indicating less mindfulness.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Loneliness Measured by NIH Toolbox Loneliness Score
The NIH Toolbox Loneliness is a 5-item questionnaire where participants report how often in the past week they have felt loneliness. It is scored on a 5-point Likert scale where 1 = never to 5 = always. The total possible range of scores is 5-25 where higher scores indicate a greater sense of loneliness.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Anxiety Symptoms Measured by Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 (GAD-7) Score
The GAD-7 is a 7-item questionnaire where participants report how often in the past 2 weeks they were bothered by specific problems. It is scored on a 4-point Likert scale where 0 = not at all to 3 = nearly every day. The total possible range of scores is 0-21 where higher scores indicate more anxious symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up, 1-Year Follow-Up, 2 Year Follow-Up
Change in Healthy Minds (HM) Index
The HM Index is a 17-item questionnaire assessing qualities trained in the HMP app (awareness, connection, insight, purpose). It is scored on a 0- to 4-point Likert scale where 0 = a low amount (e.g., never, not at all, none of the time) and 4 = a higher amount (e.g., always, to the highest degree, all of the time) of a particular quality. Total scores for the four subscales range as follows: Awareness (0 to 16), Connection (0 to 24), Insight (0 to 12), Purpose (0 to 16) where higher scores indicate more of each quality.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
The trait MAAS is a 15-item scale designed to assess a core characteristic of mindfulness, namely, a receptive state of mind in which attention, informed by a sensitive awareness of what is occurring in the present, simply observes what is taking place. It is scored on a 6-point Likert scale, where 1=almost always and 6=almost never. Scores range from 15-90 with higher scores indicating lower attention to what is taking place.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Conflict Resolution Scale
Conflict Resolution Scale asks participants to select the rating that best describes the outcomes of their disagreements. Scores are summed to get a total score of 0-12 where lower scores indicate worse conflict resolution.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Digital Working Alliance Inventory
The Digital Working Alliance Inventory is a 6-item scale where participants report their working alliance with the HMP app (e.g., "The HMP app supports me to overcome challenges"). It is scored on a 7-point Likert scale where 1 = "strongly disagree" to 7 = "strongly agree." Total scores range from 6 to 42 where higher scores indicate greater working alliance.
Time frame: Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
AUDIT is a 10-item survey asking about the participant's relationship to alcohol. It is scored using various scales depending on the item. Scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater risk for alcohol use disorder.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test - Revised (CUDIT-R)
CUDIT-R is an 8-item survey asking about the participant's relationship to cannabis. It is scored using various scales depending on the item. Scores range from 0 to 32, with higher scores indicating greater risk for cannabis use disorder.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up
Change in Mild-to-moderate IPV Questionnaire
Mild-to-moderate IPV Questionnaire is an 7-item survey asking about mild-to-moderate violence in the participant's relationship. It is scored using a 7-point Likert scale, with 0 = never and 6 = more than 20 times. Scores range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater mild-to-moderate violence in the participant's relationship.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, 3-Month Follow-Up