Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40356464›Full record

Trial reportBritish journal of health psychology2025

Minimal couple intervention to improve psychobiological stress resilience.

Corina Aguilar-Raab, Martin Stoffel, Melanie Fischer, Monika Eckstein, Guy Bodenmann, Markus Heinrichs, Ulrike Ehlert, Beate Ditzen

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in British journal of health psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01594775 (Oxytocin, Couple Interaction and Wound Healing), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT01594775 phase1completednot on this map

Oxytocin, Couple Interaction and Wound Healing

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of ZurichRan2011 to 2013Enrolled160ConditionsHealthy VolunteersArmsSyntocinon (Oxytocin) nasal spray, Placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Corina Aguilar-RaabDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Interaction- and Psychotherapy Research, Institute for Compassionate Awareness and Interdependence Research and Practice IN-CARE, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9956-7047
Martin StoffelInstitute of Medical Psychology, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Melanie FischerDepartment of Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Monika EcksteinInstitute of Medical Psychology, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Guy BodenmannDepartment of Psychology, Clinical Psychology for Children/Adolescents and Couples/Families, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Markus HeinrichsDepartment of Psychology, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Ulrike EhlertDepartment of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Beate DitzenInstitute of Medical Psychology, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5853-4572

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aimed at evaluating the effects of a minimal couple intervention focusing on positive aspects within the relationship (instructed partnership appreciation task; PAT) in daily life. We hypothesized a stress-buffering effect of this intervention on perceived stress, salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase.

methodsN = 40 couples were randomly assigned to either PAT or a no PAT (nPAT) condition. Self-reports and saliva samples were assessed six times per day on five consecutive days. To account for couple interdependencies, multilevel modelling (MLM) approaches were used to test the effects of (a) group assignment (PAT vs. nPAT) and (b) practicing the PAT in everyday life (PAT group only).

resultsOverall perceived stress was lower for women in the PAT group as compared with women in the nPAT group (b = -.380, p = .0098). Within the PAT group, daily positive interaction (PAT) significantly reduced cortisol (b = -.127, p = .02) and alpha amylase (b = -.122, p = .037). Sex-specific analyses of within-participants effects in daily life indicate that these results were driven by the men in the sample: Practicing the PAT led to a decrease in perceived stress (b = -.271, p = 001) and sCort (b = -.226, p = .006) in men, but not in women (all p > .05).

conclusionsThe findings suggest that a minimal couple intervention can improve individual health-related outcomes in a sex-specific manner, and that effects depend on actually practicing the positive exchange in daily life.

trial registrationThe analysis of the present study is based on a sub-sample (placebo group) of a larger neuropharmacological intervention and longitudinal trial 'Oxytocin, Couple Interaction and Wound Healing' (clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT01594775).

Indexed as

Couples TherapyInterpersonal RelationsResilience, PsychologicalStress, PsychologicalAdultalpha-AmylasesFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneMaleMiddle AgedSalivaYoung Adultalpha-AmylasesHydrocortisonealpha‐amylasecortisoldyadic micro interventionresiliencestress

Identifiers

PMID40356464
PMCPMC12070146

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.