PREP for Strong Bonds: A Review of Outcomes from a Randomized Clinical Trial

Allen, Elizabeth S.; Rhoades, Galena K.; Markman, Howard J.; Stanley, Scott M.

doi:10.1007/s10591-014-9325-3

Cited by 24 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…They were participating in a long-term study of the effectiveness of PREP in the U.S. Army (Allen et al, 2015). They were participating in a long-term study of the effectiveness of PREP in the U.S. Army (Allen et al, 2015).…”

Section: Methods Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatment‐as‐Usual for Couples: Trajectories Before and After Beginning Couple Therapy

et al. 2018

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Couple therapy has been shown to be a meaningful way to improve couples’ relationships. However, less information is known about couples’ functioning prior to entering treatment in community settings, as well as how their relationship functioning changes from initiating therapy onward. This study examined 87 couples who began community‐based couple therapy during a longitudinal study of couples in the military. The couples were assessed six times over the course of 3 years, including time points before and after starting couple therapy. Using an interrupted‐time series design, we examined trajectories across the start of couple therapy in relationship satisfaction, divorce proneness, and negative communication. The results demonstrated that couples’ relationship satisfaction was declining and both divorce proneness and negative communication were increasing prior to entering couple therapy. After starting couple therapy, couples’ functioning on all three variables leveled off but did not show further change, but previous experience in relationship education moderated these effects. Specifically, those who were assigned to the relationship education program (vs. control) demonstrated greater reductions in divorce proneness and greater increases marital satisfaction after starting therapy; however, they also started more distressed.

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Section: Methods Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treatment‐as‐Usual for Couples: Trajectories Before and After Beginning Couple Therapy

et al. 2018

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“…In fact, a large scale randomized clinical trial of the program was begun in 2007. Thus far, the results of this trial indicate significant divorce reduction effects one and two years after the intervention, as well as significant positive effects on some marital quality outcomes immediately after the intervention, but no marital quality effects one year after intervention (see review by Allen et al, 2015). However, longer term marital quality outcomes were moderated by different couple level risk and demographic factors (Allen et al, 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Thus far, the results of this trial indicate significant divorce reduction effects one and two years after the intervention, as well as significant positive effects on some marital quality outcomes immediately after the intervention, but no marital quality effects one year after intervention (see review by Allen et al, 2015). However, longer term marital quality outcomes were moderated by different couple level risk and demographic factors (Allen et al, 2015). Whereas PREP for Strong Bonds effects related to specific couple characteristics have begun to be explored, there have been no studies to date examining how the participants' ratings of the program itself relate to long term marital outcomes.…”

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confidence: 82%

Associations Between Participant Ratings of PREP for Strong Bonds and Marital Outcomes 1 Year Postintervention

Allen

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Markman

et al. 2017

Military Psychology

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After completing a relationship education program, collecting participant evaluations of the program is common practice. These are generally used as an index of “consumer satisfaction” with the program, with implications for feasibility and quality. Rarely have these ratings been used as predictors of changes in marital quality, although such feedback may be the only data providers collect or have immediate access to when considering the success of their efforts. To better understand the utility of such ratings to predict outcomes, we evaluated links between participant ratings and changes in self-reported marital satisfaction and communication scores one year later for a sample of 191 Army couples who had participated in a relationship education program delivered by Army chaplains (PREP for Strong Bonds). Overall ratings of general satisfaction with the program and the leader did not predict changes in marital outcomes one year later, whereas higher ratings of how much was learned, program helpfulness, increased similarity in outlook regarding Army life, and helpfulness of communication skills training predicted greater change in communication skills one year later. Higher ratings of items reflecting intent to invest more time in the relationship, and increased confidence in constructive communication and working as a team with the spouse predicted greater increases in both marital satisfaction and communication skills one year later. The constructs of intention and confidence (akin to perceived behavioral control) suggest that the Theory of Planned Behavior may be particularly useful when considering which Army couples will show ongoing benefit after relationship education.

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“…At one-and two-year follow-up couples who received the intervention were significantly less likely to have divorced Allen, Rhoades, Markman, & Stanley, 2015). Importantly, effects were stronger for minority vs majority couples.…”

Section: Relationship Education Adaptations For Military Couplesmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…The intervention was administered by Army chaplains in a group format and involved approximately fourteen hours of education and skills training. High-risk couples in the intervention condition were significantly less likely to have divorced at a two-year follow-up than couples who received a notreatment control (8.1% vs 14.9%; Allen, Rhoades, Markman, & Stanley, 2015;Stanley et al, 2014). Communication skills were also significantly improved at post-test , although this effect was not maintained at follow-up.…”

Section: Relationship Education Adaptations For Military Couplesmentioning

confidence: 90%

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

Bakhurst¹

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Military couple relationships have a number of risk and protective factors that set them apart from civilian couples. Financial and job security, subsidised housing and healthcare, and cost-free support services provide advantages to military couples. On the other hand, frequent relocations, separations, and deployments are associated with social and employment difficulties for spouses, emotional disconnection, trauma-related health problems, and relationship distress. These factors give military couples a distinctive risk and resiliency profile that might make them ideal candidates for relationship education (RE). RE programs need to be tailored to address the special needs of military couples, to ensure content is seen as relevant, and delivered in a format that increases access and flexibility within the unpredictable military lifestyle. This dissertation makes the case for military RE, presenting best practice recommendations for tailoring interventions for use with this special population. Cross-sectional research was conducted to investigate the role of communication and dyadic coping in military couple relationships, to test key assumptions that underpin the design and content of military RE. Communication was found to partially mediate the association between trauma symptoms and relationship satisfaction, with findings suggesting that communication normally considered negative might be adaptive in some couples. Common dyadic coping, in which couples work together to develop strategies to cope with stress, was found to be associated with relationship satisfaction. The implications of these findings for military RE are discussed. A military-specific adaptation of the Couple CARE program, Couple CARE in Uniform, was developed and tested by randomised controlled trial with a sample of 32 Australian military couples, against a self-directed reading control. Couples saw reliable improvement in relationship satisfaction and communication, however no difference was found between the two conditions.

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PREP for Strong Bonds: A Review of Outcomes from a Randomized Clinical Trial

Cited by 24 publications

References 68 publications

Treatment‐as‐Usual for Couples: Trajectories Before and After Beginning Couple Therapy

Treatment‐as‐Usual for Couples: Trajectories Before and After Beginning Couple Therapy

Associations Between Participant Ratings of PREP for Strong Bonds and Marital Outcomes 1 Year Postintervention

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

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