This longitudinal study examined the effect of the birth of the first child on relationship functioning using data from 218 couples (436 individuals) over the course of the first 8 years of marriage. Compared to pre-birth levels and trajectories, parents showed sudden deterioration following birth on observed and self-reported measures of positive and negative aspects of relationship functioning. The deterioration in these variables was small to medium in size and tended to persist throughout the remaining years of the study. Mothers and fathers showed similar amounts of change after birth. The amount of post-birth deterioration in relationship functioning varied systematically by several characteristics of the individual, the marriage, and the pregnancy itself. In a group of couples who did not have children, results indicated more gradual deterioration in relationship functioning during the first 8 years of marriage without the sudden changes seen in parents, suggesting that the results seen in the parent sample may be due to birth.

Objective Within the United States, one-third of married couples are distressed and almost half of first marriages (and more than half of unmarried cohabiting relationships) end in divorce/separation. Additionally, relationship distress has been linked to mental and physical health problems in partners and their children. Although couple therapy is effective in reducing relationship distress, it is utilized by less than one third of divorcing couples. Therefore, more accessible interventions for relationship distress are needed. Method This study tests the efficacy of the OurRelationship (OR) program, an eight-hour online program adapted from an empirically-based, in-person couple therapy. In the program, couples complete online activities and have four, 15-minute calls with project staff. Nationwide, 300 heterosexual couples (N = 600 participants) participated; couples were generally representative of the US in terms of race, ethnicity, and education. Couples were randomly assigned to begin the program immediately or to a two month waitlist control group. Results Compared to the waitlist group, intervention couples reported significant improvements in relationship satisfaction (Cohen’s d=0.69), relationship confidence (d=0.47), and negative relationship quality (d=0.57). Additionally, couples reported significant improvements in multiple domains of individual functioning, especially when individuals began the program with difficulties in that domain: depressive (d=0.71) and anxious symptoms (d=0.94), perceived health (d=0.51), work functioning (d=0.57), and quality of life (d=0.44). Conclusions In a nationally-representative sample of couples, the OR program was effective in significantly improving both relationship and individual functioning, suggesting it can substantially increase the reach of current interventions through its low-cost, web-based format.

Objective: Although low-income couples experience greater relationship challenges, they have limited access to effective relationship interventions. Furthermore, most previous efforts to improve low-income couples' relationships have yielded very small effects (Hawkins & Erickson, 2015). In an effort to overcome these limitations, this study investigated the effectiveness of 2 web-based interventions for low-income couples. Method: In total, 742 low-income couples (N ϭ 1,484 individuals; mean [M] age ϭ 33; 55% White, non-Hispanic; 52% married; median [Mdn] annual household income ϭ $27,000) were recruited nationally and randomized to the OurRelationship program, the ePREP program, or a waitlist control group. Couples were repeatedly assessed for 6 months using self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, communication conflict, intimate partner violence, emotional support, and breakup potential. Relationship status was assessed at 6-month follow-up. Results: Compared to the control group, intervention couples experienced significantly greater improvements in all 5 domains of relationship functioning (Mdn |d| ϭ 0.46) by the end of the program; these effects were maintained in the 4 months after treatment. However, neither program significantly reduced the frequency of breakups by the 6-month follow-up. Differences between couples in the two interventions were minimal (Mdn Cohen's |d| ϭ 0.11); however, couples in the OurRelationship program experienced significantly greater decreases in conflict (d ϭ 0.24). Conclusions: The results indicate that brief, web-based interventions can serve a central role in delivering effective services to low-income couples. Additionally, the general equivalence of the two interventions indicates that both communication-focused and problem-focused interventions can be successful in improving the relationship functioning of low-income couples. What is the public health significance of this article? Web-based interventions are effective in improving relationship functioning of low-income couples. Brief interventions, narrowly focused on improving relationship dynamics, are effective in overcoming multiple barriers to intervention reach and effectiveness in low-income populations. Both communication-focused and problem/insight-focused interventions can be effective for low-income couples.

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If therapists know why couples seek marital therapy, they can more effectively tailor their therapies to improve treatment outcome. Unfortunately, there have been no systematic studies to date on couples' reasons for seeking therapy. In a survey of 147 married couples seeking marital therapy, the most commonly reported reasons were problematic communication and lack of emotional affection. Within individual couples, spouses showed little agreement on their reasons for therapy, suggesting that careful and individual assessments should be made of each spouse. There was only partial overlap of couples' reasons for seeking therapy, questionnaires of relationship problems, and previous studies of therapists' reports of couples' problems, indicating that traditional methods of assessment may not fully capture why couples are seeking therapy.