Treatment-as-Usual for Couples: Trajectories Before and After Beginning Couple Therapy.

Couple therapy has been shown to be a meaningful way to improve couples' relationships. However, less information is known about couples' functioning prior to entering treatment in community settings, as well as how their relationship functioning changes from initiating therapy onward. This study examined 87 couples who began community-based couple therapy during a longitudinal study of couples in the military. The couples were assessed six times over the course of 3 years, including time points before and after starting couple therapy. Using an interrupted-time series design, we examined trajectories across the start of couple therapy in relationship satisfaction, divorce proneness, and negative communication. The results demonstrated that couples' relationship satisfaction was declining and both divorce proneness and negative communication were increasing prior to entering couple therapy. After starting couple therapy, couples' functioning on all three variables leveled off but did not show further change, but previous experience in relationship education moderated these effects. Specifically, those who were assigned to the relationship education program (vs. control) demonstrated greater reductions in divorce proneness and greater increases marital satisfaction after starting therapy; however, they also started more distressed.

Se ha demostrado que la terapia de pareja es una manera valiosa de mejorar las relaciones de las parejas. Sin embargo, se cuenta con menos información acerca del funcionamiento de las parejas antes de comenzar un tratamiento en entornos comunitarios, así como acerca de la manera en que el funcionamiento de su relación cambia desde el inicio de la terapia en adelante. Este estudio analizó a 87 parejas que comenzaron terapia de pareja basada en la comunidad durante un estudio longitudinal de parejas en las fuerzas armadas. Se evaluó a las parejas seis veces durante el transcurso de tres años, incluidos momentos específicos antes y después de comenzar la terapia de pareja. Utilizando un diseño de series de tiempo interrumpido, analizamos las trayectorias a lo largo del comienzo de la terapia de pareja en la satisfacción con la relación, la propensión al divorcio y la comunicación negativa. Los resultados demostraron que la satisfacción con la relación de la pareja estaba disminuyendo y que tanto la propensión al divorcio como la comunicacióin negativa estaban aumentando antes de comenzar la terapia de pareja. Después de comenzar la terapia de pareja, el funcionamiento de las parejas en las tres variables se nivelaron pero no demostraron otros cambios, aunque la experiencia previa en capacitación en relaciones moderó estos efectos. Específicamente, los que fueron asignados al programa de capacitación en relaciones (frente al grupo de control) demostraron una mayor reducción de la propensión al divorcio y un mayor aumento de la satisfacción conyugal después de comenzar la terapia, sin embargo, también comenzaron la terapia más angustiados.

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

The effects of relationship education aimed at individuals, rather than couples, have not yet been widely investigated. However, increasingly, relationship education is provided to large and diverse groups of individuals who may be in varying stages of relationships. Several programs have been developed to strengthen relationship competencies among single individuals as well as among partnered individuals who, for a variety of reasons, seek relationship education without their partners. The current study is an exploratory evaluation study that examined self-reported outcomes for 706 single and partnered individuals who attended Within My Reach classes delivered in community-based agencies. Participants were from diverse backgrounds and exhibited many of the risk factors for poor relationship outcomes including unemployment, low income, and childhood experience of abuse or neglect. Pre-post analyses indicated that the program was beneficial for both singles and partnered individuals. Singles reported increased belief in ability to obtain healthy relationships. Partnered individuals reported increased relationship quality, relationship confidence, and reduced conflict. Regardless of relationship status, participants also reported improvement in general relationship and communication skill. Results support the utility of individual-oriented relationship education for singles and partnered individuals with diverse background characteristics.