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.
Department of Educational Studies, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
Ryan G
RG
Carlson
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
Damon L
DL
Rappleyea
Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX.
Andrew P
AP
Daire
Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Steven M
SM
Harris
Department of Educational Studies, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
Xiaofeng
X
Liu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019546:Couples Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D066107:Social Skills; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Distress; Low income; Relationship education; angustia; bajos recursos; capacitación en relaciones; 低收入; 关系教育; 困扰