Immediate Effect of Couple Relationship Education on Low-Satisfaction Couples: A Randomized Clinical Trial Plus an Uncontrolled Trial Replication

Halford, W. Kim; Pepping, Christopher A.; Hilpert, Peter; Bodenmann, Guy; Wilson, Keithia Lynne; Busby, Dean M.; Larson, Jeffry H.; Holman, Thomas B.

doi:10.1016/j.beth.2015.02.001

Cited by 34 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Additionally, consistent with previous findings on moderators of relationship education programs as described above (e.g., Halford et al, 2015;Williamson et al, 2015), couples who presented with clinical levels of distress reported much larger pre-post effects from baseline to 1-month follow-up. Interestingly, the program appeared to be equally effective with both Whites and other races/ethnicities, which perhaps might be due to the fact that the program could be tailored specifically to the couple, thus addressing the particular challenges that these couples are facing.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

An Implementation Study of Relationship Checkups as Home Visitations for Low‐Income At‐Risk Couples

et al. 2018

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Couples with the greatest need for relationship health maintenance and intervention are often least able to afford and access it; therefore, accessible, affordable, effective, and brief interventions are needed to improve relationship health for those who need it most. Consequently, this paper examined whether a brief relationship intervention could be effectively implemented with a low‐income, underserved population. All enrolled participants (N = 1,312) received the Relationship Checkup, which consists of an assessment and a feedback session delivered in their homes or at a local clinic at their request. Measures assessed relationship satisfaction, communication, psychological and physical aggression, and intimacy at baseline and 1‐month follow‐up, and program and relationship satisfaction at 6‐month follow‐up. All participants reported significant improvements on all outcomes with small effect sizes. However, moderation analyses suggested that distressed couples reported significantly larger effects across the board. Overall, participants reported that they were highly satisfied with the intervention both immediately after its delivery and 6 months later. Findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of this brief checkup and point to the utility of offering these kinds of low‐cost brief interventions in flexible formats for those who might have the most difficulty accessing them.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

An Implementation Study of Relationship Checkups as Home Visitations for Low‐Income At‐Risk Couples

et al. 2018

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“…The CRE field has a modest record of examining pedagogical and programmatic processes that facilitate positive change in outcomes (Allgood & Higginbotham, ; Bradford, Adler‐Baeder, Ketring, & Smith, ; Carlson, Barden, Daire, & Swartz, ; Higginbotham & Myler, ; Owen, Antle, & Barbee, ; Owen, Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, ; Quirk, Owen, Inch, France, & Bergen, ). Also, several studies have found that program effects are moderated by baseline levels of individual and dyadic risk and distress, with greater risk and distress generally predicting greater improvement in intervention outcomes (Allen, Rhoades, Stanley, Loew, & Markman, ; Amato, ; Barton, Futris, & Bradley, ; Bodenmann, Hilpert, Nussbeck, & Bradbury, ; Carlson, Rappleyea, Daire, Harris, & Liu, ; DuPree, Whiting, & Harris, ; Epstein et al, ; Halford et al, ; Halford, Sanders, & Behrens, ; Hawkins & Erickson, ; McGill et al, ; Quirk, Strokoff, Owen, France, & Bergen, ; Schilling, Baucom, Burnett, Allen, & Ragland, ; Williamson et al, ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Forty years of ongoing research has established that couple and relationship education (CRE) programs can be effective at strengthening romantic relationships for advantaged couples (Blanchard, Hawkins, Baldwin, & Fawcett, 2009;Fawcett, Hawkins, Blanchard, & Carroll, 2010; Family Relations 66 (July 2017): 441-452 Epstein et al, 2015;Halford et al, 2015;Halford, Sanders, & Behrens, 2001;Hawkins & Erickson, 2015;McGill et al, 2016;Quirk, Strokoff, Owen, France, & Bergen, 2014;Schilling, Baucom, Burnett, Allen, & Ragland, 2003;Williamson et al, 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How Does Couple and Relationship Education Affect Relationship Hope? An Intervention‐Process Study with Lower Income Couples

2017

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Objective To explore whether changes in positive interaction skills as a result of participation in couple and relationship education (CRE) are associated with changes in relationship hope. Background Recent CRE work has focused more on its effectiveness for disadvantaged couples, with the early evidence mixed. Increasing the effectiveness of CRE for disadvantaged couples will require more evidence of how it works, not just whether it works. Method In this study, 182 lower income couples participated in a 30‐hour psychoeducational intervention, Family Expectations (FE), in Oklahoma City. Participants completed measures of positive interaction skills and relationship hope, a seldom‐studied construct in CRE research, before and shortly after the program. Results At pretest, there was significant variation in relationship hope among FE participants. Latent growth curve models revealed changes in positive interaction skills were associated with higher levels of partners' relationship hope at the end of the program, although the effect of men's skills changes on their partners' hope was 3 to 4 times stronger than for women's skills changes on their partners' hope. Additional latent growth curve models found that nearly 70% of participants reported positive changes in skills and that participants entering the program with the lowest levels of hope experienced the greatest changes in positive interaction skills. Conclusion We conclude that relationship hope is a legitimate target outcome in CRE and is influenced by improvement in positive interaction skills, consistent with social learning theory. Also, those entering CRE with low levels of hope improve interaction skills most, and men's growth produces larger gains for the couple relationship than women's growth. Implications Distressed individuals and couples should be particularly encouraged to attend CRE programs, and program developers should make sure that their curricula and pedagogic processes are well aligned with men's interests and learning styles.

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“…Although the CARE group indicated greater satisfaction with their intervention than did the comparison group, there were no distinguishable differences in satisfaction and communication between the multisession relationship education program (CARE) and reading a self-help book. These effects were unexpected given several RCTs with civilian samples demonstrating CARE as a relationship enhancing intervention (Halford, Moore, Wilson, Farrugia, & Dyer, 2004;Halford, Petch, & Creedy, 2010;Halford et al, 2015).…”

Section: Yellow Ribbon Reintegrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brief‐Systemic Programs for Promoting Mental Health and Relationship Functioning in Military Couples and Families

Monk

Ruhlmann

Goff

et al. 2018

J of Family Theo & Revie

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Military service members and veterans (SMVs) are considered at risk for developing a variety of relational and mental health concerns. Often, their families also face hardships due to stressors associated with deployment and reintegration, as well as the interpersonal effects of distress. However, there are few systems‐oriented services available to military couples and families. Similarly, the services that are available often go underutilized. To address these gaps, we review existing brief‐systemic programs, which show promise for attracting and helping military families in need. In addition to describing the theoretical underpinnings that support these models and the limited empirical evidence behind them, we also provide recommendations for military scholars and program developers to improve services for SMVs and their families.

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Immediate Effect of Couple Relationship Education on Low-Satisfaction Couples: A Randomized Clinical Trial Plus an Uncontrolled Trial Replication

Cited by 34 publications

References 39 publications

An Implementation Study of Relationship Checkups as Home Visitations for Low‐Income At‐Risk Couples

An Implementation Study of Relationship Checkups as Home Visitations for Low‐Income At‐Risk Couples

How Does Couple and Relationship Education Affect Relationship Hope? An Intervention‐Process Study with Lower Income Couples

Brief‐Systemic Programs for Promoting Mental Health and Relationship Functioning in Military Couples and Families

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