Couple Relationship Education at the Transition to Parenthood: A Window of Opportunity to Reach High‐Risk Couples

Abstract

This study evaluated if the transition to parenthood is a window of opportunity to provide couple relationship education (CRE) to new parents at high risk for future relationship problems. Fifty-three percent of eligible couples approached agreed to participate in CRE and of these 80% had not previously accessed CRE. Couples were a broad representative of Australian couples having their first child, but minority couples were underrepresented. A third of couples had three or more risk factors for future relationship distress (e.g., cohabiting, interpartner violence, elevated psychological distress, unplanned pregnancy). Low education was the only risk factor that predicted drop out. The transition to parenthood is a window of opportunity to recruit certain types of high-risk couples to CRE.

The impact of a referral card-based intervention on intimate partner violence, psychosocial health, help-seeking and safety behaviour during pregnancy and postpartum: a randomized controlled trial

“…Similar to our findings that seeking formal help was perceived as 'unnecessary' , this perception of 'normality' has resulted in women enduring violence without any (formal) help. Couples typically do not perceive lowlevel IPV as problematic in their relationship however, research has shown that they are at high risk for future relationship dissatisfaction and instability [63,86]. Additionaly, we found that more than half of our participants were in the precontemplation phase according to the model on readiness to change [87], which implies that they were minimising or denying the IPV.…”

Los Programas Educativos para Parejas y Matrimonios: una nueva propuesta clínica para Chile

“…Parejas pertenecientes a población vulnerable y de riesgo: En los últimos años se han sido implementados exitosamente estos programas en población desventajadas (Ooms et al, 2004;Ooms, 2007), los cuales pueden también operar en el apoyo a la transición a la parentalidad (Petch, Halford, Creedy, y Gamble, 2012). En la aplicación del programa PREP masivamente en el estado de Oklahoma en Estados Unidos con familias pobres, se constató que la efectividad de estas intervenciones aumenta significativamente con sesiones de reforzamiento (Ooms, 2007).…”

Relationship education for military couples: the development and randomised controlled trial of Couple CARE in Uniform

“…Halford and Bodenmann (2013) also argue that longer term benefits of RE are more easily detected in couples at higher risk of relationship distress (e.g., those with family-of-origin parental divorce or violence), as these couples show a larger natural decline in satisfaction over time, in contrast to lower risk couples who might remain stable even in the absence of RE. Consistent with this proposition of a selective effect of RE, risk moderates the effects of RE with moderate to large effects evident for high-risk couples two to four years after RE (Allen, Rhoades, Stanley, Loew, & Markman, 2012;Halford, Sanders & Behrens, 2001;Petch, Halford, Creedy, & Gamble, 2012). Some couples utilise relationship self-help books in order to enhance their relationship in a low-cost and private setting.…”

“…A larger trial of the program with 250 expectant couples showed similar declines on negative communication for intervention couples. There was also less decline in satisfaction across three years for women in the CCP condition relative to control, although this effect was just in high-risk couples (Petch, Halford, Creedy, & Gamble, 2012). A version of Couple CARE was also developed for couples dealing with hazardous alcohol consumption in one or both partners (Bouma, Halford, & Young, 2004).…”

“…For example, couples managing the transition to parenthood can benefit from dyadic coping with the considerable demands of caring for a baby (Petch, Halford, Creedy, & Gamble, 2012).…”