Association between help‐seeking and motivation for completing a couple relationship education program across service modality

Abstract

Levels of motivation and help‐seeking impact the effectiveness of couple relationship education (CRE), as those with greater help‐seeking and motivation are more likely to attend more sessions and remain engaged. Less is known about what impacts the association between motivation and help‐seeking between partners in a couple engaging in CRE. The current study aims to examine (a) the effect of couples' self‐stigma for help‐seeking on their own or partner's motivation to complete the relationship education program and (b) whether the effects differ between service modality (i.e., online and in‐person). We sampled 276 heterosexual couples who participated in a relationship education program. A multiple‐group actor–partner interdependence model analysis revealed that women and men with higher self‐stigma for seeking help exhibited lower motivation to complete the program in both settings. Higher self‐stigma in men for help‐seeking significantly enhanced the motivation of their female partners to complete the online relationship education program.