title: Development of a multilevel prevention program for improved relationship functioning in active duty military members.
abstract: The relationships and families of active duty (AD) service members have been tremendously strained by deployments and high operations' tempo. This study involves the first steps in developing a multilevel approach to preventing relationship problems that integrates universal, selective, and indicated prevention/intervention. Such an approach has tremendous empirical support for parenting problems, but no similar program exists for couple problems. We conducted two studies with U.S. Air Force Security Forces members. Study 1 elicited the target population's topics of highest interest. For almost all topics, 70% to 95% of participants who desired information reported being underserved by current prevention offerings (i.e., not receiving needed information). Using the top topics generated in Study 1, we developed prevention information/action planning sheets on 18 relationship issues. In Study 2, we had AD members who gave feedback on the form and content of the sheets. Overall, AD members believed that the sheets were moderately to very useful and were presented well, had pithy but comprehensive information and conveyed the content well. Results imply that a multilevel approach may be a useful complement to formal services in meeting underserved military members' needs and that further research and development of this dissemination vector for evidence-based information is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Family Translational Research Group, New York University, 345 East 24th Street #2S-VA, New York, NY 10010.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Heyman
authors.affiliation: Family Translational Research Group, New York University, 345 East 24th Street #2S-VA, New York, NY 10010.
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Smith Slep
authors.affiliation: Family Translational Research Group, New York University, 345 East 24th Street #2S-VA, New York, NY 10010.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sabathne
authors.affiliation: Family Translational Research Group, New York University, 345 East 24th Street #2S-VA, New York, NY 10010.
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Eckardt Erlanger
authors.affiliation: Family Translational Research Group, New York University, 345 East 24th Street #2S-VA, New York, NY 10010.
authors.forename: Teresa T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Mailstop 4235, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235.
authors.forename: Douglas K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Mailstop 4235, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balderrama-Durbin
authors.affiliation: Wright Patterson Air Force Base, 2510 Fifth Street Dayton, OH 45433.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cigrang
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 59 MDW/59 SGOWMP, 2200 Bergquist Drive Suite 1, Lackland AFB, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Gerald W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Talcott
authors.affiliation: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Lackland AFB, TX 78236.
authors.forename: JoLyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tatum
authors.affiliation: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Lackland AFB, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Monty T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Lackland AFB, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.affiliation: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, 2200 Bergquist Drive, Lackland AFB, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Scott M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sonnek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019546:Couples Therapy; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016730:Program Development; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult