Predicting Relationship Help Seeking Prior to a Marriage Checkup

Abstract

Although the barriers to couples’ help seeking can be daunting, to date there is only a small body of literature addressing the factors that motivate couples to seek help. This study examined the association between attitudes towards relationship help seeking and relationship help seeking behaviors, as well as the association between marital quality and help seeking. This study was completed in the context of the Marriage Checkup, a brief intervention designed to reduce the barriers to help seeking. Results indicated that help seeking attitudes and behaviors were not related in couples, and that wives’ marital quality was negatively associated with both wives’ and husbands’ help seeking. Husbands’ marital quality was not associated with husbands’ help seeking. Overall, this suggests that the process of couples’ help seeking is distinct from that of individuals, and seems to be driven primarily by the female partner. Further implications for theory and treatment are discussed.

The Role of Attachment Behaviors in the Link between Relationship Satisfaction and Depression in Clinical Couples: Implications for Clinical Practice

“…This confirms past research on gender differences in relationship satisfaction and depression (Beach & Whisman, ). This finding may help to explain consistent research that suggests women are more likely to seek counseling than their male partners (Eubanks Fleming & Córdova, ), as they may be more attuned to and effected by relationship problems (Shill & Lumley, ).…”

Who Attends Couples Counseling in the UK and Why?

“…Results from the present study indicated that females reported more presenting issues than men and were more likely to indicate '[their] partner's behavior' as a problem. It is important to acknowledge that males are less likely to initiate relationship counseling than females (Fleming & Córdova, 2012) and hence, it may be appropriate to suggest that the partner who initiates couples counseling is more likely to express a greater number of presenting issues by comparison.…”

Maintaining the Relationship: Relational Schemas and Women’s Intent to Seek Couple Therapy

“…Within the TPB framework, low relationship satisfaction has been associated with positive subjective norms but not with attitudes (Spiker et al, 2019). These associations are also expected in women, as relationship satisfaction plays an important role in women’s decisions to seek help (Eubanks-Fleming & Cordova, 2012). One untested possibility is that relationship satisfaction has a positive association with PBC.…”

“…Individuals low in relationship satisfaction (i.e., subjective evaluation of a romantic relationship; Funk & Rogge, 2007) are more likely to seek couple therapy (Eubanks-Fleming & Cordova, 2012). Within the TPB framework, low relationship satisfaction has been associated with positive subjective norms but not with attitudes (Spiker et al, 2019).…”