Supervision

• apl. Prof. Dr. Johannes Stauder

Participating

• Prof. Dr. Beate Ditzen
• Prof. Dr. Katajun Lindenberg
• Prof. Dr. Martin Bujard

Project Runtime

01.06.2024 – 31.10.2026

Summary

Stable attachment bonds and intimate relationships serve as crucial factors to determine well-being and health across the lifespan and for all family members, including children. This project will evaluate a yet ongoing online program, where couples in a phase of ambivalence and conflict find information, psychoeducation, and an eCoach-supported online intervention. We seek to find out (1) who uses such scientifically-based online information and how do couples who actively seek help differ from those who don’t. (2) How do couples and families benefit in terms of well-being, mental health outcomes and psychobiological indicators of stress and what are the underlying socio-structural gradients? (3) How do children of parents in conflict benefit indirectly from their parents’ participation?

We will draw on a self-conducted longitudinal EMA-study and a conventional survey among users of the online program combined with the Family Demography Panel Study (FReDA) to address these questions. We will compare an experimental and a control group of the EMA-study over time (among couples and families attracted by the program, each assessing parents and their children), compare users of the program with the FReDA sample to describe the socio-economic profile of users, and we will match and compare the longitudinal survey data collected from the online-intervention with the FReDA sample to analyse differential health outcomes of users attracted by such online-programs and a comparable representative sample over time. In view of the significance of partnership transitions for health and the possibilities of the Internet for counseling, the project can generate new insights that are highly relevant for research and practice.