Pilot Study of an Interparental Conflict Intervention for Separating or Divorcing Parents
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age88+
SponsorArizona State University
About this trial
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.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Age 18 years or older
Fluent in English
Court ordered to attend an intervention to reduce interparental conflict
Disqualifiers
None
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Family COMPASS
BehavioralFamily 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)
BehavioralFIT 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.
Treatment groups
94 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Family COMPASSExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Families in Transition (FIT)Active comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
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.
Time frame
Baseline and 30 days after program completion2
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.
Time frame
Baseline and 30 days after program completion3
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.
Time frame
Baseline and 30 days after program completion4
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.
Time frame
Baseline and 30 days after program completionSecondary outcomes
1
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.
Time frame
Baseline and 30 days after program completion2
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.
Time frame
Baseline and 30 days after program completion3
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.
Time frame
Baseline and 30 days after program completionSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Arizona State University
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov