Couples-Based Economic Empowerment Program to Improve Relationship Quality and Mental Health in India

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the impact of a couples-based financial literacy and gender-transformative intervention on relationship strength, empathy, and mental health among married couples in rural and urban communities across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan, India. This sub-study is part of a larger randomized controlled trial called Disentangling and Preventing Economic Violence against Women ECOVI, aiming to understand how empowering couples financially and promoting equitable relationships can improve mental well-being. Married couples in intervention clusters attend six structured community-based sessions, each lasting 2.5 to 3 hours. These sessions combine financial literacy topics like budgeting and savings with gender-equity education focusing on communication, shared decision-making, and empathy. Sessions are held approximately every 2-4 weeks in groups of about fifteen couples, led by male and female facilitators. Between sessions, participants receive SMS reminders to reinforce key messages. Couples in control clusters continue with usual community resources but do not receive the structured program during the study period. Participants complete baseline assessments before the intervention and endline surveys about six months after completing the sessions, measuring changes in relationship strength, empathy, and mental health using standardized scales. The study also plans to explore whether improvements in relationship quality mediate mental health benefits. Total participation spans approximately 1.5 years from baseline to endline. The trial is randomized with no masking and includes follow-up via surveys and SMS engagement to monitor progress and outcomes.

Strengthening Relationships and Mental Health Through a Couples-Based Economic Empowerment Intervention