Systemic Couple Therapy for Marital Dynamics and Mental Health | NCT07736508

NCT07736508

Overview

NCT ID: NCT07736508
Lead Sponsor: Shifa Tameer-e-Millat UniversityOTHER
Official Title: Systemic Couple Therapy for Enhancement of Marital Dynamics and Mental Health Among Individuals With Depression: A Mixed Method Approach
Brief Summary: The goal of this clinical trial (randomized controlled trial within a mixed-method study) is to learn whether Systemic Couple Therapy (SCT) can treat depression and improve relational functioning in married couples where at least one partner is experiencing mild to moderate depression and relational distress.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does Systemic Couple Therapy improve relationship quality, marital communication, dyadic coping, interpersonal functioning, and overall mental health?

Does Systemic Couple Therapy reduce depressive symptoms compared to Treatment-as-Usual (TAU)? Researchers will compare Systemic Couple Therapy (intervention group) with Treatment-as-Usual (control group) to see if SCT leads to greater improvements in mental health and relational outcomes and greater reduction in depression.

Participants will:

Complete standardized psychological assessments at baseline, post-treatment (8 weeks), and 3-month follow-up

Participate in 8 weekly Systemic Couple Therapy sessions (intervention group)

Receive Treatment-as-Usual such as routine couple therapy services or medication (control group)

Ages Eligible for Study: Adult (18-64)
Sexes Eligible for Study: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No
Eligibility Criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria

Participant must be 18 years or older to participate in the study.

At least one partner must meet the diagnostic criteria for depression (mild to moderate) as defined by the DSM-5 TR.

Participants must be married for at least a year to ensure adequate context for systemic couple therapy.

Both partners must agree to participate in the study, showing their willingness to engage in the intervention and complete all required assessments.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants with severe depression, psychosis, bipolar disorder, or active substance use disorder will be excluded from the study due to potential interference with therapy.

Participants currently engaged in ongoing individual psychotherapy during the study period will be excluded to avoid confounding treatment effects.

Additionally, couples will be excluded if there is presence of domestic violence or abuse, as identified during the initial screening or clinical interview, to ensure participant safety.

Couple who will be undergoing legal separation or divorce proceedings will not be eligible to participate, as the focus of the systemic couple therapy is relational commitment and stability.

Central Contacts: Tamkeen Saleem, PhdContact
tamkeen.dcp@stmu.edu.pk923325412281