Individual-Oriented Relationship Education: An Evaluation Study in Community-Based Settings

Examining the stability of emotional regulation and psychological distress for low-income individuals: A latent transition analysis

Previous relationship education research has focused on investigating healthy relationships at the couple level, with limited research conducted on individual-oriented relationship education programs for economically disadvantaged individuals. More specifically, there is a lack of research on how individual-oriented relationship education programs contribute to changes in unique attributes of individuals who enroll in these programs and who would benefit most from relationship education programs. The primary aim of this study is to understand the stability of economically disadvantaged individuals' psychological distress and emotion regulation over two time points, comparing individuals randomly assigned to the relationship intervention using Prevention and Relationship Education's (PREP) Within My Reach (WMR) versus those assigned to a wait-list control. Using a sample of 1129 economically disadvantaged individuals enrolled in the study, results indicated that the three-class model for psychological distress and emotion regulation was the most appropriate for the latent transition analysis. Treatment group participants were more likely to transition to more adaptive models than their wait-list control counterparts, although a small percentage of participants did transition to a less adaptive model. Implications, future directions, and limitations are discussed.

Relationship education for women during pregnancy: The impact of MotherWise on birth outcomes

The field of relationship science has called for more research on the impact of relationship education on child outcomes, yet studies in this area remain sparse, particularly regarding maternal and infant health at birth. Research on group prenatal care demonstrates that individual-oriented group interventions have a positive impact on infant birth outcomes, suggesting the need to consider the impacts of other forms of group programming for women. The current study examined the impact of MotherWise, an individual-oriented relationship education and brief case management/coaching program for minority and low-income pregnant women, on birth outcomes. The study sample included 136 women who enrolled in a larger randomized controlled trial of MotherWise during early pregnancy. Although statistical power was limited due to the sample size and the effects were not outright significant at p < 0.05, results indicated that the effects of MotherWise on birth outcomes were small to moderate in size (0.23 for birthweight, 0.46 for preterm birth) and suggest important avenues for future tests of relationship education programs and their impacts on maternal and infant health. The current study suggests that relationship education during pregnancy could directly impact women's and infant's health.

The impact of Strong Families, Strong Communities on relationship functioning in low-income African American and Hispanic individuals: Findings from a federally funded randomized control trial

Low-income minorities face many complex barriers to building stable and healthy relationships. AVANCE Houston, a non-profit community-based organization in Houston, Texas, developed the Strong Families, Strong Communities (SFSC) program to address such barriers by providing interactive healthy marriage and relationship skills workshops to low-income English- and Spanish-speaking Hispanic and English-speaking African American individuals. Using a randomized control trial (RCT) design with random assignment to the 7-week treatment group (n = 649) or a 12-month wait-list control group (n = 600), we examined the impact of the program on four dimensions of relationship functioning: relationship satisfaction, connectedness, and quality; and conflict resolution, at post-test and then 6 and 12 months later. Using a repeated measure multilevel model with a difference-in-difference impact estimate, we found that all four dimensions of relationship functioning improved with small effect sizes that were larger than those found in previous relationship education programs for low-income individuals (Cohen's d's of 0.18 for relationship satisfaction, 0.24 for connectedness, 0.19 for quality, and 0.20 for conflict resolution). Findings from this study provide evidence of program effectiveness on dimensions of relationship functioning for low-income minorities, comparable to or better than those seen in other healthy marriage program RCTs. The findings of this impact evaluation are promising regarding the impact of programs like SFSC on dimensions of relationship functioning in low-income Hispanic and African American participants.

The development and evaluation of a brief intervention for male partners of women hospitalized for perinatal distress

BACKGROUND

Perinatal distress (PD) is a term used to describe mood and anxiety disorders experienced during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. In acute cases of PD, inpatient hospitalization may be indicated. Although hospitalization tends to result in improved immediate safety outcomes, many patients are discharged when they are still experiencing acute symptomology. Interpersonal and environmental factors, particularly those that exist within intimate relationships, can significantly help or hinder patient progress. Partners are also affected by the patient's symptoms and often lacks the skills or knowledge to offer support.

METHODS

The aim of the present investigation is to address PD through a dyadic lens by integrating partners into treatment. In this feasibility study, 20 partners of women hospitalized for PD were recruited to participate in an individually delivered, 90-minute intervention designed to improve partner understanding and support behaviors.

RESULTS

Qualitative feedback from partners suggests that the intervention was acceptable and the high recruitment rates demonstrate strong feasibility. Additionally, partners reported significant gains in the context of their support self-efficacy for assisting patients to cope with distress. Patients reported that they were significantly more satisfied with the support that their partners were providing.

LIMITATIONS

This was a feasibility study and as such, there was no control group, thereby limiting causal inferences about the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that this intervention may serve to enhance the recovery of women hospitalized for PD by empowering partners through offering psychoeducation and skills for offering support.

Intervenções Preventivas com Casais: O que Podemos Aprender com a Experiência Internacional?

Resumo A dissolução da unidade conjugal é um desafio familiar e para os diversos sistemas sociais a esta relacionados. O objetivo deste artigo é revisar a literatura sobre programas preventivos com casais, visando a identificar os formatos de sucesso, as lacunas existentes no que é oferecido no Brasil e o que podemos aprender com a experiência internacional. Os dados são apresentados e discutidos privilegiando os estudos que se mostraram teórica e empiricamente relevantes para o desenvolvimento de um programa adaptado à realidade brasileira. Os estudos encontrados apontam para a eficácia das intervenções preventivas na promoção de habilidades relacionadas à resiliência conjugal. Entretanto, os mecanismos de mudança implicados nesse processo e sua repercussão na qualidade conjugal ainda não foram esclarecidos.

Changes in Couple Relationship Dynamics among Low-Income Parents in a Relationship Education Program Are Associated with Decreases in Their Children's Mental Health Symptoms

Witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) among parents negatively impacts millions of children in the United States each year. Low-income families are disproportionately affected by IPV compared to middle- and high-income individuals, and are beginning to be the focus of IPV secondary prevention interventions, including relationship education programs. Despite these developments, few studies have examined changes in psychosocial functioning among children of parents participating in relationship education programs. The current study examined the extent to which changes in specific couple dynamics among individuals from low-income backgrounds participating in a couple relationship education program, Within My Reach, were associated with changes in child mental health symptoms. A second purpose of this paper is to examine whether changes in parent–child relationship quality mediates the association between changes in couple dynamics and changes in child mental health difficulties. Participants (n = 347) were parents who participated in Within My Reach as part of programming offered at a large community agency. Decreases in negative couple conflict behaviors, including conflict engagement, withdrawal and compliance, over the course of the program were linked to decreases in child mental health difficulties. In addition, increases in parent–child relationship quality partially mediated the associations between decreases in compliance, as well as increase in overall couple relationship quality, and decreases in child symptoms. Community-based couple relationship education programs for low-income families can potentially have multiple positive impacts throughout the family system, including for children.

Relationship Education for Military Couples: Recommendations for Best Practice

Military couples have a number of distinctive strengths and challenges that are likely to influence their relationship adjustment. Military couples' strengths include stable employment, financial security, and subsidized health and counseling services. At the same time, military couples often experience long periods of separation and associated difficulties with emotional disconnect, trauma symptoms, and reintegrating the family. This paper describes best practice recommendations for working with military couples, including: addressing the distinctive challenges of the military lifestyle, ensuring program delivery is seen as relevant by military couples, and providing relationship education in formats that enhance the accessibility of programs.

Relationship Education for Incarcerated Adults

As relationship education (RE) programs become more widely implemented, it is important to measure and document the changes associated with RE for diverse audiences. Also, researchers have been challenged to examine the impact of RE with more disadvantaged groups. While we are seeing an increase in this area, only three studies have examined RE with an incarcerated sample. These previous studies examined only those currently in a relationship and focused primarily on couple functioning. The aim of this study was to expand the existing literature by examining RE with a broader sample of incarcerated adults, regardless of current relationship status, and to expand our understanding of its association with outcomes beyond the couple domain by also including measures of individual and parental functioning. In addition, we examined whether change from pre- to posttest was moderated by individual characteristics. Using a sample of incarcerated adults (N = 122), the study found positive change in three domains of functioning (couple, individual, and parental). Specifically, results indicated change on five of the eight outcome variables examined. Overall, we found both similarities and differences among program participants on changes from pre- to posttest. For the majority of outcomes, the positive change from pre- to posttest emerged regardless of individual characteristics.

The Effectiveness of Couple and Individual Relationship Education: Distress as a Moderator

Current literature yields mixed results about the effectiveness of relationship education (RE) with low-income participants and those who experience a high level of individual or relational distress. Scholars have called for research that examines whether initial levels of distress act as a moderator of RE outcomes. To test whether initial levels of relationship and/or individual distress moderate the effectiveness of RE, this study used two samples, one of couples who received couple-oriented relationship education with their partner (n = 192 couples) and one of individuals in a relationship who received individual-oriented RE by themselves (n = 60 individuals). We delivered RE in a community-based setting serving primarily low-income participants. For those attending with a partner, there was a significant interaction between gender, initial distress, and time. Findings indicate that women who were relationally distressed before RE reported the largest pre-postgains. Those who attended an individual-oriented RE program reported significant decreases in individual distress from pre to post, but no significant relationship gains. Findings also suggest that initial levels of distress did not moderate the effectiveness of individual-oriented RE.