A randomized trial of relationship education using Within Our Reach for economically vulnerable couples

Bibliographic Data

ID21320042
AuthorsSejal M Barden (0000-0001-8140-8419, Department of Counselor Education, Marriage and Family Research Institute University of Central Florida Orlando Florida USA, corresponding author), Ryan G Carlson (0000-0001-6637-066X, Department of Educational Studies University of South Carolina Columbia South Carolina USA), Dalena Dillman Taylor (0000-0002-3584-9982, Department of Counselor Education, Marriage and Family Research Institute University of Central Florida Orlando Florida USA), Tammiee Dickenson (Department of Educational Studies University of South Carolina Columbia South Carolina USA), Tammiee S Dickenson (0009-0003-1852-1947, South Carolina Department of Education), Rihao Gao (0000-0001-9388-2919, Department of Educational Studies University of South Carolina Columbia South Carolina USA)
Year2022
Volume61
Issue3
Pages1005-1020
Publication date2022-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFamily Process (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0014-7370 • E-ISSN: 1545-5300
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/famp.12781
PMID35545431
OpenAlexW4280560775
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited34

Couples relationship education is grounded in teaching couples’ skills and strategies to form and sustain healthy relationships. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the impact of a relationship education intervention on emotion regulation, individual distress, dyadic coping, and relationship adjustment utilizing a randomized control trial for economically vulnerable couples. The analysis sample included 1418 couples (2836 individuals) who were randomly assigned to receive the 12‐h Within Our Reach curriculum immediately, or to a wait‐list control group. We estimated multilevel growth curve models over time among outcomes between treatment and wait‐list control conditions. Treatment group couples demonstrated statistically significant improvements over the 6‐month study period on emotional regulation and dyadic coping when compared to their wait‐list group counterparts. Although models showed improvements in individual distress and relationship adjustments, these improvements did not amount to statistically significant group differences. Implications and limitations are also noted

Coping (psychology) · Curriculum · Developmental psychology · Distress · Multilevel model · Randomized controlled trial · Relationship education · Treatment and control groups · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Medicine · Psychology

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