Helping Couples Connect during the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial of an Awareness, Courage, and Love Intervention

Tsai, Mavis; Hardebeck, Emerson; Ramos, Fabiana Pinheiro; Turlove, Hannah; Nordal‐Jonsson, Kaisa; Vongdala, Akoly; Zhang, Wen; Kohlenberg, Robert J.

BACKGROUND: A second pandemic of mental health problems due to COVID‐19 is predicted, suggesting a demand for interventions to mitigate its impacts. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an online psychological intervention based on the Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) model from Functional Analytic Psychotherapy to promote closeness between couples during the pandemic. METHOD: Thirty‐one couples were randomised into either the intervention or control group for a 2‐hour online group session. The intervention was designed to increase closeness between couples, whereas control group members watched a movie. In both groups, participants responded to two instruments that assessed the couple's relationship. Generalised linear mixed modeling was used to compare the change scores over time between the groups, with random effects used to control for the correlation within a couple and the correlation within the individual. RESULTS: The intervention group’s closeness increased by 23 per cent while the control group’s closeness increased only 2 per cent. A week later, a significant difference between the two groups emerged on closeness. CONCLUSION: Online ACL protocols requiring minimal training offer a promising intervention to quickly buffer against stress for large numbers of individuals during pandemic times.