Relationship Education Programs Research Articles

Effects of individual-oriented relationship education for parents: A randomized controlled trial.

Individual-oriented relationship education aims to support healthy relationship development for singles, and provides flexibility for couples when only one member is available or willing to attend. While quasi-experimental studies have shown some benefits for those who attended relationship education individually, no randomized controlled trials have been conducted for individual-oriented RE. Moreover, it is not clear how relationship education benefits the co-parenting relationship when only one parent attends. Thus, this paper presents the results of a randomized controlled trial, with a wait-list control group, for a sub-sample of parents (N = 322) who participated in a 6-month trial of individual-oriented relationship education utilizing Prevention and Relationship Education Program's (PREP) Within My Reach (WMR) curriculum. Results indicated statistically significant, small, positive intervention effects on parent-child relationships 3 months after random assignment. However, no other treatment effects were detected for parents. We also found no statistically significant differences in the rate of change over the 6-month study period between treatment and wait-list control parents. There was a statistically significant effect for time, indicating that all enrolled parents in the study reported significant positive growth on emotion regulation, positive encouragement, parent-child relationships, and parental adjustment. We discuss implications for relationship education programming, as well as evaluating outcomes in future studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Make up or break up? Charting the well-being of low-income help-seeking couples through the breakup process.

Divorce or separation concerns have typically been identified as a common reason why couples seek treatment for their relationship. However, to our knowledge, no study has investigated the breakup process in a help-seeking sample. Using a low-income sample of individuals who broke up with their partner during a large randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of two web-based relationship education programs (NBroke up = 286), and a matched sample of individuals who did not break up (NMatched = 286; NTotal = 572), the current study sought to: (a) examine changes in individual functioning and co-parenting among those who broke up; (b) examine post-breakup differences in changes between those who did and did not break up; and (c) identify moderators of any differential post-breakup functioning between those who did and did not break up. Results revealed that web-based relationship education leads to decreases in psychological and perceived stress prior to the breakup. After matching on pre-breakup characteristics, no post-breakup differences in individual functioning or co-parenting were found between those who did and did not break up. Furthermore, few variables moderated individuals' adjustment to breaking up. Therefore, breaking up may not be as detrimental to individual well-being as once anticipated. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The region-wide implementation of a relationship education program for first time parents delivered in the maternal and child health care setting: evaluating reach and effectiveness

Aims: To present the results of a region-wide evaluation of Baby Makes 3, a brief relationship education program for first time parents implemented in the maternal and child health setting. Background: The program is designed to utilise the ‘teachable moment’ provided by the birth of the first child, and strengthen the couple relationship, promoting gender equity and preventing intimate partner violence. The literature contains only a few similar examples, none of which have been implemented on a region-wide scale in a rural context. Participants: First time parents in the Great South Coast Region of Victoria, irrespective of whether they had participated in Baby Makes 3, group facilitators, and other stakeholders involved in the program across the region including maternal and child health nurses. Methods: Interviews were conducted with parents, group facilitators and other stakeholders. Routinely collected surveys completed by parents and group facilitators were also analysed. Data was collected throughout the period April 2013 to August 2015. Findings: Fewer than one-third of new parents in the region participated in Baby Makes 3. Parents, group facilitators and other stakeholders all made suggestions as to how program reach could be improved. These included the need to take account of key components of rural life including farm work and not clashing with sporting activities. Nevertheless, for those who participated, the program was judged highly effective according to both parents and staff. Additionally, parents valued the social interaction generated by the program as an outcome in itself, connected to the value of the program in normalising the challenges they were facing as new parents. Minimal negative effects were identified. Discussion: Transition to parenthood is a time when many parents are open to exploring gender roles and expectations within their relationships, especially in a context in which the challenges of parenting are normalised. However, the implementation of such a program which has been designed in an urban context may require modifications when delivered in a rural area. Conclusion: Parenting programs are just as necessary in rural as in urban contexts. Furthermore, modifying the program to commence prior to the birth of a child further work may improve program reach. What is already known about this topic? The birth of the first child, has been found in urban settings, to be a time when parents are open to brief interventions which lead to improved awareness, communication skills, attitudes and behaviours supportive of gender equity and a strengthened couple relationship. What this paper adds: Programs which promote gender equity and respectful relationships are beneficial to new parents in rural areas, but effective implementation requires taking into account the characteristics of local communities.

Helping couples achieve relationship success: A decade of progress in couple relationship education research and practice, 2010-2019.

This article systematically reviewed 34 rigorous evaluation studies of couple relationship education (CRE) programs from 2010 to 2019 that met the criteria for Level 1 well‐established interventions. Significant advances include reaching more diverse and disadvantaged target populations with positive intervention effects on a wider range of outcomes beyond relationship quality, including physical and mental health, coparenting, and even child well‐being, and evidence that high‐risk couples often benefit the most. In addition, considerable progress has been made delivering effective online CRE, increasing services to individuals rather than to couples, and giving greater attention to youth and young adults to teach them principles and skills that may help them form healthy relationships. Ongoing challenges include expanding our understanding of program moderators and change mechanisms, attending to emerging everyday issues facing couples (e.g., healthy breaking ups, long‐distance relationships) and gaining increased institutional support for CRE.

Coping during COVID: Implementation of an online relationship education intervention for couples.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has increased stressors for couples related to unemployment, financial hardship, and interpersonal conflict (Luetke et al., 2020). Traditional models of care including relationship education programs need to adapt to meet the needs of couples in communication and conflict resolution during the pandemic. To this end, the aim of the current article is to highlight the transition of a face-to-face relationship education intervention to an online program, providing lessons learned focused on accessibility, modality, flexibility, engagement, and resources for maintaining cohesion and quality service delivery through the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) © 2021 American Psychological Association

Becoming what you are seeking: Building Relational Self-Awareness in emerging adults.

Emerging adults are attempting to navigate a rapidly shifting and immensely complicated landscape of modern love, often without meaningful sex and relationship education. Although individually oriented relationship education programs for emerging adults make a difference in the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of the recipients (Simpson et al., Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2018, 47, 477) and most emerging adults report they yearn for relationship education (Weissbourd et al., The talk: How adults can promote young people's healthy relationships and prevent misogyny and sexual harassment, 2017), these programs are not widely available. Educators who are working with emerging adults in a classroom or psychoeducational setting are well-positioned to help emerging adults identify and enact healthy and purposeful relational and sexual choices. The first part of the paper orients readers to the "topography" of the modern love landscape by describing four macro cultural themes that impact the intimate lives of emerging adults. The second part of the paper introduces relationship educators to Relational Self-Awareness (Solomon, Loving Bravely: 20 lessons of self-discovery to help you get the love you want, New Harbinger, 2017), an integrative approach to helping emerging adults understand the self-in-relationship. Each of the five pillars of Relational Self-Awareness is defined and operationalized, and specific recommendations are provided for how educators can integrate these pillars into their existing curricula. Clinical implications and future directions are offered.

Online relationship education for help-seeking low-income couples: A Bayesian replication and extension of the OurRelationship and ePREP programs.

Low-income couples are at increased risk for relationship instability and divorce. In response, online relationship education programs such as ePREP and OurRelationship have been developed to more easily reach this population. A previous trial indicated that these programs promote relationship functioning (Doss et al., 2020) and individual well-being (Roddy et al., 2020a). However, given that these effects were notably larger than previous studies of in-person relationship education and approached effect sizes observed in couple therapy, it is possible that the magnitude of these effects was somewhat spurious; therefore, these findings need replication. The current manuscript seeks to replicate these programs' previous effects on relationship functioning and determine whether these effects are stable. Using a sample of 671low-income couples seeking relationship help (N=1337 individuals) and Bayesian estimation, the current study replicated previous findings that the OurRelationship and ePREP programs offered with four coaching calls produced reliable improvements in relationship functioning relative to a 6-month waitlist control group. There were no statistically reliable differences between the two active interventions. Bayesian analyses indicated that the effects of the two online programs were larger than the average effects of in-person relationship education for low-income couples reported in previous studies, roughly equivalent to efficacy studies of in-person relationship education reported in previous studies, smaller than those that resulted from the OurRelationship program delivered to distressed couples without an income requirement and smaller than couple therapy.

University–church partnerships: A mechanism to enhance relationship health

Romantic relationship distress leads to decreased satisfaction and dissolution. While therapy is effective for helping distressed couples, it is often inaccessible due to cost, time, and childcare barriers. Churches are often able to offer lower-cost services and provide childcare. In partnership with a network of local churches, university staff trained lay leaders to deliver an evidence-based relationship education program and collected data from 97 couples to evaluate pre- to post-workshop changes in couple functioning. Multilevel modeling was used to examine changes from pre- to post-workshop and thematic analysis was used to analyze open-ended feedback responses. Results showed improvements in communication, relationship satisfaction, commitment, and intimacy safety, with the largest effect found for communication. Participants also reported improved communication skills were one of the most beneficial parts of the program. Through the partnership with a university, churches can offer and rigorously evaluate evidence-based programs to strengthen couple relationships in their communities.

Examining the Effects of Relationship Education for Same-Sex Couples: A Randomized Control Trial

Relationship education programs are designed to enhance a variety of relationship characteristics related to building knowledge and skills for healthy relationships. Same-sex couples represent a high-risk group that would benefit from relationship education based on unique challenges such as heterosexist discrimination that impact relationships and the mental health of individuals who identity as sexual minorities. The aim of this investigation was to examine the efficacy of relationship education on improving dyadic coping, emotional regulation, and psychological distress for same-sex couples (N = 52) who were enrolled in a randomized control trial testing PREP’s Within Our Reach. Results indicate significant positive effects on individual distress symptoms for couples assigned to the intervention. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

When Disclosure Isn’t the Goal: Exploring Responses to Partner Violence Victimization Screening and Universal Education among Youth and Adults

Efforts to connect intimate partner violence (IPV) and teen dating violence (TDV) survivors with services rely heavily on victimization screening, despite extensive evidence that many will not disclose abuse even with the best-available screening tools. This study examines how two forms of brief IPV/TDV intervention (screening and universal education) affect important outcomes other than disclosure, including participants’ perceptions of options and resources for addressing IPV/TDV and maintaining safety. This study applies regression models and inductive qualitative analysis to survey data from adults (N = 646) and youth (N = 648) and accompanying qualitative interview data to explore participants’ perceptions of safety-related resources and options after completing a set of randomly assigned brief IPV/TDV interventions. Brief IPV/TDV interventions (including screening and universal education) may influence safety options and connection to resources, even in the absence of disclosure. The brief interventions examined in this study supported participants’ awareness of available resources and sparked personal reflection and insight. Organizational-level outcomes included stronger community partnerships, increased capacity for communicating about IPV/TDV, and expanded services for survivors. These outcomes appeared to be strongly shaped by how staff approached IPV/TDV-related interactions with participants. Implementation of brief IPV/TDV interventions in the context of high school and community-based relationship education programs represent a promising strategy for promoting safety and safety-related empowerment among youth and adult survivors. Future research should continue to examine outcomes of such interventions beyond disclosure.

A Field Test of Opportunities for Teen Dating Violence Disclosure in School-Based Relationship Education Programs.

School-based relationship education programs offer an opportunity to identify youth who are experiencing teen dating violence (TDV), support their safety, and connect them with individualized services or referrals. However, no research has tested the feasibility or accuracy of approaches to create opportunities for TDV disclosure in the context of school-based programs. The current study presents the results of a field test comparing three tools used to provide opportunities for TDV disclosure (two questionnaire-style tools and one universal education discussion guide). High school students from two federally funded healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) program sites (N = 648) were offered the three tools in random order over the course of the HMRE program, which lasted between 3 weeks and 3 months and took place during the school day. Onsite qualitative interviews with HMRE program staff and their local domestic violence program partners assessed how service providers saw the tools and the process of implementing them. Latent class models examined the accuracy of the tools in identifying TDV. Sensitivities of the tools were low and specificities were high; the questionnaire-style tools tended to have higher sensitivities and fewer classification errors than the universal education tool. Several three-item combinations from across the tools performed better than any intact tool, suggesting that shorter assessments may be effective, provided they include items on sexual coercion and physical violence. Qualitative findings suggested that implementation of TDV assessment and universal education in school settings is a viable strategy, provided programs are able to gain support from school staff, adapt to tight time constraints, and plan procedures for protecting student privacy and confidentiality.

"The Main Concern is HIV, Everything Else is Fixable": Indifference Toward Sexually Transmitted Infections in the Era of Biomedical HIV Prevention.

With the advent of biomedical HIV prevention, attitudes toward and cultural norms around condom use and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are changing. Participants of 2GETHER, a randomized controlled trial of a relationship education and HIV prevention program for male couples, have acknowledged that having condomless anal sex put them at increased risk for STIs. Nonetheless, facilitators of the program have increasingly observed that participants were indifferent toward STIs and unmotivated to engage in preventative behaviors, particularly if they used pre-exposure prophylaxis. Participants' reasons for their lack of motivation to take precautions against STIs are reviewed. Implications of these attitudes for public health interventions to reduce rates of STIs among MSM, including frequent screening and treatment of STIs and potential messaging around condom use, are discussed.

Individual mental health and couple functioning following couple relationship education participation: Exploring prospective cross-lagged influences among changes.

Limited research on couple relationship education (CRE) programs explores the relationships among potential outcomes over time. This study conducted tests of processes of change in CRE participants' mental health and couple functioning, based on previous evidence of concurrent benefit in these domains following CRE participation. Using a diverse sample of 926 men and women we first tested the stress generation model (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1991, 100(4), 555-561) assumptions that individual functioning influences relational functioning. We found support for immediate changes in mental health predicting changes in couple functioning 6months later. However, a full cross-lagged prospective model comparatively testing the stress generation model and the marital discord model (Depression in marriage: A model for etiology and treatment. Guilford, 1990), which emphasizes relational functioning impacts on individual well-being over time, revealed the stronger directional link for both men and women was from immediate changes in couple functioning to later changes in individual mental health. Practical implications and future research directions are suggested.

Online relationship education programs improve individual and relationship functioning: A meta-analytic review.

Online access to relationship enhancing educational resources are needed now more than ever, and there is a growing number of available programs for couples to choose. But, what is the evidence that these programs improve individual and relationship well-being? We conducted a meta-analysis, using random-effects, examining individual and relationship outcomes of online relationship education programs. We identified 12 publications included in the analysis, and found that online relationship education programs produced significant effects in increasing relationship satisfaction, communication skills, relationship confidence, positive relationship qualities, and decreasing negative relationship qualities. At the individual-level, we found that online relationship programs reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms, increased health satisfaction, and overall quality of life. Additionally, we found no differences related to gender, whether or not couples were identified as "distressed," whether or not the programs were "enhanced," or length of the program.

Teaching romantic competence skills to emerging adults: A relationship education workshop

AbstractRomantic relationships are a central component of life and are linked to well‐being, making adaptive functioning critical. Yet, there are few theory‐driven, systematic efforts to prepare young people to function skillfully. This study reports the results of a randomized controlled trial of a two‐session relationship education program based on Davila and colleagues' construct of romantic competence. Participants were 154 (68 relationship education, 86 waitlist) emerging adult college students. They completed questionnaires initially, posttest, and at follow up. Compared to the waitlist, relationship education participants reported increases in workshop‐relevant knowledge, perspective taking, and adaptive decision making, all targets of the program. Qualitative data from relationship education participants at follow up indicated behavioral changes reflective of workshop material. This provides preliminary support of the program's efficacy.

Motivations to Enroll and Engage in Relationship Education Programs: A Qualitative Investigation of Key Process Factors

Empirical support for relationship education (RE) programs is primarily based in quantitative research methods, leaving gaps in understanding the experience of couples and individuals who participate in RE programs. Further, a more focused understanding on how to attract and maintain program participants is necessary, in order to better address participant engagement barriers and to ultimately strengthen a program’s potential impact. This study presents findings from three focus groups with participants (N = 20) who enrolled in RE workshops. We conducted consensual qualitative research (CQR; Hill et al., Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(2), 196–205, 2005; Hill et al., The Counseling Psychologist, 25(4), 517–572, 1997), reaching consensus on six domains and 16 categories through the systematic process of examining the representativeness across cases. The resulting model offers implications for future RE programs to focus their efforts on recruitment and retention, ultimately increasing their impact with individuals and couples.

For Worse or for Better: Predicting Deterioration in a Relationship Education Program for Low-Income, Racially Diverse Couples

Relationship education programs (REPs) have substantial bodies of evidence that support their efficacy as community-based relationship education interventions for many couples, including racial/ethnic minority (REM) couples and couples from low-income households. While many studies support the efficacy of REPs, less is known about the characteristics of couples who experience worse relationship functioning after these interventions. Accordingly, we examined whether pre-intervention relationship factors would be associated with couples who reported worse relational commitment post-intervention. A total of 1,710 individuals (N = 855 couples) from a large, low-income, urban center participated in REPs. The sample was predominantly African American/Black (58.1%) and Hispanic/Latinx (40.6%), including 16 same-sex couples. Across all outcome variables (dedication, constraint, and separation), the participants receiving the intervention in a group format were more likely to report worse relationship functioning after the intervention. Negative communication was found to be more predictive than positive communication, and higher baseline respect counter-intuitively predicted greater odds of deterioration, especially for female partners. This study calls attention to why couples may experience worsening of commitment after REPs, and ultimately, may help predict which low-income, REM couples may benefit from relationship education, as well as how programs can be better culturally tailored to meet their needs.

“Talking” as a Romantic Interaction: Is There Consensus?

Emerging adults (EAs) use many phrases to refer to their romantic interactions. In two studies (N1 = 110; N2 = 222), EAs’ knowledge and perceptions of “talking” were examined. In Study 1, a majority of college students had heard of “talking,” and perceived “talking” as distinct from “friends with benefits” (FWB) and dating. In Study 2, about half of a broader EA sample had heard of “talking” and perceived “talking” as being significantly less emotionally and physically intimate, and less committed than dating; they did, however, perceived “talking” to be similar in some ways to being FWB. Additionally, EAs varied in their agreement regarding the what, why, and how of “talking.” Incorporating these results into youth relationship education programs may be beneficial to promoting healthy relationship development and reducing relational uncertainty.

Together We Can: Increase Couple Functioning for Low-SES Families

This study reviews how parenting efficacy and the coparenting relationship are influenced by a shortened and adapted Together We Can relationship program. Researchers were interested in determining how socioeconomic status and race impact parenting and coparenting outcomes. Participants included 26 White and African American individuals. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and the spillover hypothesis assist with understanding how participant’s environments have impacted their current relationship and parenting practices. Statistically significant differences were found between pre- and posttests on both parenting and coparenting outcomes; further analyses showed racial and socioeconomic differences within these outcomes. As society continues to form increased romantic relationships and parenting systems, relationship education programs should be evaluated with varied populations.

The association between romantic competence and couple support behaviors in emerging adult couples

This study examined the association between romantic competence and observed couple social support behaviors in a sample of 89 emerging adult mixed-gender couples ( M age = 20.65 for men, 20.16 for women). Across analyses, findings generally indicated that higher romantic competence was associated with both seeking and providing support in a more positive and less negative manner, even when controlling for attachment security, relationship satisfaction, and relationship length. The findings extend our understanding of how romantic competence affects dyadic processes, and identifies romantic competence as a novel target underlying the ability to effectively seek and provide support. Clinical implications for relationship education programs as well as psychotherapy that may be focused on improving relationship functioning is discussed.