An interventional study of Education and Reappraisal Coping in Anxiety, Depression and Coping Skills, sponsored by Arizona State University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 9 Years to 12 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-30.
Sponsored by Arizona State University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
This study will identify components for inclusion in a coping intervention package to reduce mental health problems among children exposed to high interparental conflict after parental separation/divorce. Reappraisal, distraction, and relaxation coping strategies are related to fewer mental health problems among children, making intervention components based on these strategies key candidates for inclusion in an optimized coping intervention. The primary aim is to experimentally assess the main and interactive effects of three digital intervention coping components (reappraisal, distraction, relaxation) on children's coping efficacy, emotional security, and internalizing and externalizing problems. Secondary aims are to assess indirect effects of the intervention components on children's coping efficacy, emotional security, and internalizing and externalizing problems through their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions to post-separation/divorce interparental conflict events.
A randomized and counterbalanced 2x2x2 factorial trial (N = 144 children, ages 9-12) will be conducted to assess the individual effects of the three digital coping intervention components. The three components to be tested will be: (1) Reappraisal (No vs. Yes), (2) Distraction (No vs. Yes), (3) Relaxation (No vs. Yes). Components that meet a priori thresholds for meaningful change will be combined to form an intervention package that will be evaluated in a subsequent randomized controlled trial.
4,868 studies on the registry are indexed under Anxiety Disorders; 1,390 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 148 is above the median of 80 across 4,174 interventional studies indexed under Anxiety Disorders.
Browse Anxiety Disorders studies →Arizona State University is the lead sponsor of 234 studies on the registry; 41 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants will complete an educational digital module and no skills-based digital modules.
Behavioral: Education
Participants will complete an educational digital module and a skills-based digital module that teaches reappraisal coping.
Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Reappraisal Coping
Participants will complete an educational digital module and a skills-based digital module that teaches distraction coping.
Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Distraction Coping
Participants will complete an educational digital module and a skills-based digital module that teaches relaxation coping.
Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Relaxation Coping
Participants will complete an educational digital module and two skills-based digital modules, one that teaches reappraisal coping and one that teaches distraction coping.
Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Reappraisal Coping · Behavioral: Distraction Coping
Participants will complete an educational digital module and two skills-based digital modules, one that teaches reappraisal coping and one that teaches relaxation coping.
Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Reappraisal Coping · Behavioral: Relaxation Coping
Participants will complete an educational digital module and two skills-based digital modules, one that teaches distraction coping and one that teaches relaxation coping.
Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Distraction Coping · Behavioral: Relaxation Coping
Participants will complete an educational digital module and three skills-based digital modules, one that teaches reappraisal coping, one that teaches distraction coping, and one that teaches relaxation coping.
Behavioral: Education · Behavioral: Reappraisal Coping · Behavioral: Distraction Coping · Behavioral: Relaxation Coping
This is a constant component; all participants will get a psychoeducation digital module.
This digital module will teach reappraisal coping skills.
This digital module will teach distraction coping skills.
This digital module will teach relaxation coping skills.
Mean Child-Reported Interparental Emotional Security Score on the SIS-SF at 3-Month Follow-Up
Child-reported Security in the Interparental Subsystem Scale-Short Form (SIS-SF; Holt et al., 2020). The score is the mean of 17 items rated from 0 (not at all true) to 3 (very true for me). Higher scores indicate greater interparental emotional security (better outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; factorial analyses adjust for baseline SIS-SF and prespecified covariates.
Time frame: approximately 3 months after posttest
Mean Child-Reported Family Emotional Security Score on the SIFS at 3-Month Follow-Up
Child-reported Security in the Family System Scale (SIFS; Forman \& Davies, 2005). The score is the mean of 24 items rated from 0 (completely disagree) to 3 (completely agree). Higher scores indicate greater family emotional security (better outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline SIFS score and prespecified covariates.
Time frame: approximately 3 months after posttest
Mean Child-Reported Coping Efficacy Score on the CES at 3-Month Follow-Up
Child-reported Coping Efficacy Scale (CES; Sandler et al., 2000). The score is the mean of 7 items rated from 0 (not at all) to 3 (very). Higher scores indicate greater coping efficacy (better outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline CES score and prespecified covariates.
Time frame: approximately 3 months after posttest
Mean Child-Reported Internalizing Problems Score on the BPM at 3-Month Follow-Up
Child-reported Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) Internalizing Problems scale. The score is the mean of 6 items rated from 0 (not true) to 2 (very true). Higher scores indicate more internalizing problems (worse outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline child-reported BPM Internalizing Problems score and prespecified covariates.
Time frame: approximately 3 months after posttest
Mean Parent-Reported Internalizing Problems Score on the BPM at 3-Month Follow-Up
Parent-reported Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) Internalizing Problems scale. The score is the mean of 6 items rated from 0 (not true) to 2 (very true). Higher scores indicate more internalizing problems (worse outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline parent-reported BPM Internalizing Problems score and prespecified covariates.
Time frame: approximately 3 months after posttest
Mean Child-Reported Externalizing Problems Score on the BPM at 3-Month Follow-Up
Child-reported Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) Externalizing Problems scale. The score is the mean of 7 items rated from 0 (not true) to 2 (very true). Higher scores indicate more externalizing problems (worse outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline child-reported BPM Externalizing Problems score and prespecified covariates.
Time frame: approximately 3 months after posttest
Mean Parent-Reported Externalizing Problems Score on the BPM at 3-Month Follow-Up
Parent-reported Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) Externalizing Problems scale. The score is the mean of 7 items rated from 0 (not true) to 2 (very true). Higher scores indicate more externalizing problems (worse outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline parent-reported BPM Externalizing Problems score and prespecified covariates.
Time frame: approximately 3 months after posttest
Participants were recruited from February 2023 through July 2025 through Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Recruitment sources included BuildClinical; Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other online advertisements; ASU email and MyASU outreach; family-court and public court-record outreach; and referrals from relatives, friends, attorneys, parent coordinators, parenting classes, podcasts or influencers, and community events.
| Milestone | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 |
| Completed | 18 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
| Not completed | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Child-reported Security in the Interparental Subsystem Scale-Short Form (SIS-SF; Holt et al., 2020). The score is the mean of 17 items rated from 0 (not at all true) to 3 (very true for me). Higher scores indicate greater interparental emotional security (better outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; factorial analyses adjust for baseline SIS-SF and prespecified covariates.
| Mean scale score | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Child-Reported Interparental Emotional Security Score on the SIS-SF at 3-Month Follow-Up | 1.01 ± 0.56 | 0.88 ± 0.50 | 1.29 ± 0.69 | 0.81 ± 0.80 | 1.16 ± 0.67 | 1.28 ± 0.42 | 1.22 ± 0.53 | 1.27 ± 0.52 |
Child-reported Security in the Family System Scale (SIFS; Forman \& Davies, 2005). The score is the mean of 24 items rated from 0 (completely disagree) to 3 (completely agree). Higher scores indicate greater family emotional security (better outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline SIFS score and prespecified covariates.
| score on a scale | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Child-Reported Family Emotional Security Score on the SIFS at 3-Month Follow-Up | 1.11 ± 0.62 | 0.78 ± .032 | 1.18 ± 0.39 | 0.76 ± 0.45 | 0.87 ± 0.50 | 1.11 ± 0.36 | 0.97 ± 0.39 | 1.14 ± 0.51 |
Child-reported Coping Efficacy Scale (CES; Sandler et al., 2000). The score is the mean of 7 items rated from 0 (not at all) to 3 (very). Higher scores indicate greater coping efficacy (better outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline CES score and prespecified covariates.
| score on a scale | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Child-Reported Coping Efficacy Score on the CES at 3-Month Follow-Up | 1.65 ± 0.97 | 1.92 ± 0.54 | 1.53 ± 0.81 | 2.47 ± 0.58 | 2.13 ± 0.61 | 1.91 ± 0.55 | -1.93 ± 0.51 | 1.84 ± 0.64 |
Child-reported Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) Internalizing Problems scale. The score is the mean of 6 items rated from 0 (not true) to 2 (very true). Higher scores indicate more internalizing problems (worse outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline child-reported BPM Internalizing Problems score and prespecified covariates.
| score on a scale | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Child-Reported Internalizing Problems Score on the BPM at 3-Month Follow-Up | 0.59 ± 0.70 | 0.39 ± 0.51 | 0.81 ± 0.63 | 0.30 ± 0.36 | 0.57 ± 0.67 | 0.48 ± 0.53 | 0.68 ± 0.70 | 0.52 ± 0.40 |
Parent-reported Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) Internalizing Problems scale. The score is the mean of 6 items rated from 0 (not true) to 2 (very true). Higher scores indicate more internalizing problems (worse outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline parent-reported BPM Internalizing Problems score and prespecified covariates.
| score on a scale | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Parent-Reported Internalizing Problems Score on the BPM at 3-Month Follow-Up | 0.61 ± 0.56 | 0.34 ± 0.44 | 0.61 ± 0.47 | 0.33 ± 0.36 | 0.73 ± 0.63 | 0.47 ± 0.42 | 0.42 ± 0.25 | 056 ± 0.49 |
Child-reported Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) Externalizing Problems scale. The score is the mean of 7 items rated from 0 (not true) to 2 (very true). Higher scores indicate more externalizing problems (worse outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline child-reported BPM Externalizing Problems score and prespecified covariates.
| score on a scale | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Child-Reported Externalizing Problems Score on the BPM at 3-Month Follow-Up | 0.35 ± 0.32 | 0.65 ± 0.44 | 0.43 ± 0.46 | 0.29 ± 0.36 | 0.26 ± 0.27 | 0.60 ± 0.42 | 0.54 ± 0.58 | 0.48 ± 0.43 |
Parent-reported Brief Problem Monitor (BPM) Externalizing Problems scale. The score is the mean of 7 items rated from 0 (not true) to 2 (very true). Higher scores indicate more externalizing problems (worse outcome). The outcome table reports observed scores; the attached factorial analyses adjust for the baseline parent-reported BPM Externalizing Problems score and prespecified covariates.
| score on a scale | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Parent-Reported Externalizing Problems Score on the BPM at 3-Month Follow-Up | 0.48 ± 0.49 | 0.35 ± 0.25 | 0.61 ± .046 | 0.23 ± 0.26 | 0.38 ± 0.33 | 0.64 ± 0.45 | 0.43 ± 0.36 | 0.30 ± 0.42 |
Collected over enrollment until end of follow-up, up to 22 weeks. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.
| Group | Deaths | Serious | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) |
| Education + Reappraisal | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) |
| Education + Distraction | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) |
| Education + Relaxation | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) |
| Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | 0/19 (0%) | 0/19 (0%) | 0/19 (0%) |
| Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) | 0/18 (0%) |
| Education + Distraction + Relaxation | 0/20 (0%) | 0/20 (0%) | 0/20 (0%) |
| Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation | 0/19 (0%) | 0/19 (0%) | 0/19 (0%) |
| Age, Categorical(Participants) | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <=18 years | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 148 |
| Between 18 and 65 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| >=65 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sex: Female, Male(Participants) | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 67 |
| Male | 10 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 81 |
| Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants) | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asian | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black or African American | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| White | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 110 |
| More than one race | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 |
| Unknown or Not Reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants) | Education | Education + Reappraisal | Education + Distraction | Education + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction | Education + Reappraisal + Relaxation | Education + Distraction + Relaxation | Education + Reappraisal + Distraction + Relaxation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 22 |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 120 |
| Unknown or Not Reported | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.
Plan to share: Yes — Study results will be shared through presentations at conferences and submissions in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, after taking all steps necessary to minimize possible re-identification of confidential data, I will make data, codebooks, and analysis scripts available to appropriate parties to verify findings and conclusions.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf, Csr, Analytic code
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Arizona State University