An Evaluation of an Online Program Targeting the Couple Relationship

At a glance

The Relationship Reset Study

In partnership with Odyssey Victoria, Hello Sunday Morning, Windana Victoria, and Anglicare Victoria, we are currently enrolling couples for an Australia-wide research study funded by the Australian Government. The study evaluates whether a new online relationship program is more or less effective than other online resources and programs.

Check if you’re eligible

About

Background

Around 62% of Australian couples face serious relationship issues like conflict, dissatisfaction, or breakups. This risk is five times higher for those dealing with substance use problems (e.g., alcohol, prescription drug misuse, or illicit drugs). These individuals are a group in urgent need of relationship support.

The social and economic impact of relationship breakdown and substance use in Australia is estimated at $94 billion per year. Yet, there are no evidence-based programs that directly help couples struggling with both relationship issues and substance use.

Most alcohol and drug (AOD) services focus on individual challenges like emotional control or life stress, not on relationship dynamics. But research in relationship science shows that improving relationship skills can support recovery and reduce relapse risk. Strong, supportive relationships help people stay on track; negative ones can worsen substance use.

Despite this, AOD services rarely include strategies from relationship science. Integrating relationship-focused interventions represents a major opportunity to improve outcomes among couples affected by problematic alcohol and substance use.

The OurRelationship program

The OurRelationship program, developed in the United States by Doss, Christensen and colleagues, targets people who experience many of the relationship difficulties that often co-occur with problematic substance use.

The OurRelationship program comprises self-directed activities completed on-line + 4 x 15-minute Zoom or phone coaching calls. There are eleven modules containing a series of interactive lessons that each take between 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete so the total time is no more than 8 hours. Participants complete between one to two modules per week and are provided with a scheduled plan for completion as well as reminders and coaching calls to help them navigate and complete the program within 6-8 weeks.

The OurRelationship program content is derived from Integrative Behavioural Couple Therapy, a gold-standard couples therapy developed over the last 30 years with numerous trials supporting its efficacy. The OurRelationship intervention helps individuals identify a central problem in their relationship, develop a comprehensive and balanced understanding of that problem, and then work to solve the problem through activities designed to promote emotional acceptance, constructive communication, and develop lasting patterns of change.

Aims and methodology

We are giving eligible Australian couples free access to:

• An online relationship program (approximately 8 hours) over 6 to 8 weeks, including four 15 to 20-minute calls with a coach who will help you stay on track with the program OR
• Information on on-line resources and referral options to assist you in finding help for your relationship issues.*

Participants will be asked to:

• Complete some brief (less than a few minutes) questions to check your eligibility
• Complete another longer survey before being allocated to a group
• Complete surveys approximately 3 months from now, and then 3, 6, and 12 months after that (you will receive $50 electronic gift card per person, so up to $100 per couple, if you complete at least 4 of the 5 surveys.

* Participants cannot choose which group you are allocated to – everyone in the study is randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin).

Who can participate?

To be considered for this study, participants need to:

• Live in Australia
• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be fluent in English.
• Currently in a romantic relationship and you and your partner have been regularly dating or living together for at least 6 months.
• You or your partner report some level of dissatisfaction or issues in your relationship
• You or your partner regularly consume alcohol or other substances (e.g., over-use of pain medication, cannabis).
• You or your partner perceive that alcohol or substances cause problems in your relationship

Funding

Australian Government and industry partners.