Distress as an Outcome in Youth Relationship Education: The Change Mechanisms of Hope and Conflict

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a youth relationship education program (YREP) on psychological functioning and to understand the mechanisms associated with change in distress.BackgroundSuccessfully (or unsuccessfully) navigating romantic relationships is a robust predictor of adolescent mental health. Youth relationship education programs have been found to promote adaptive relationship knowledge, attitudes, and skills; however, little research has examined how such programs influence mental health.MethodThis study examined whether significant reductions in psychological distress occurred for a diverse sample of adolescents (N = 113) completing a YREP. The study also explored whether the curriculum, Love Notes 3.0, was effective in reducing distress due to changes in hope and compromising conflict‐resolution behaviors.ResultsFrom pretest to posttest, psychological distress decreased for young women but not for young men. Furthermore, reductions in distress were associated with simultaneous increases in hope, but not reductions in conflict‐resolution behaviors.ConclusionYREPs can assist in improving youth's knowledge about adaptive relational dynamics while also significantly improving psychological functioning, primarily through increasing hope.ImplicationsYREPs may be beneficial for youth's mental health, and hope may play an important role. Encouraging youth to set clear goals and promoting self‐efficacy for behaviors that enact those goals may be helpful considerations for those serving youth (and particularly adolescent young men) in YREPs.