Relationship Enhancement Program for Marital Challenges

(REACH Trial)

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Recruiting

Sponsor: Jewish Family & Children's Service of the Suncoast, Inc.

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Non-resident, others

No Placebo Group

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial involves the REACH program, which helps low-income, at-risk individuals in certain Florida counties improve their relationships, parenting skills, and financial stability. By providing training in these areas, the program aims to make families more stable and improve their quality of life.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention treatment?

Research shows that marriage and relationship programs can improve couples' communication skills and relationship satisfaction. Studies found that these programs have positive effects, especially for couples who are experiencing distress, and these benefits can last over time. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Relationship Enhancement Program for Marital Challenges safe for participants?

The research on marriage and relationship education programs, which are similar to the Relationship Enhancement Program, does not report any safety concerns for participants. These programs focus on improving communication and relationship satisfaction, and there is no evidence suggesting they are unsafe for humans. ^{3 4 5 6 7}

How does the Relationship Enhancement Program differ from other treatments for marital challenges?

The Relationship Enhancement Program is unique because it focuses on improving communication and relationship satisfaction through structured education and enrichment activities, which have shown both short- and long-term benefits for couples. Unlike other treatments, it can be tailored to address specific challenges such as those faced by couples living with chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis. ^{2 4 5 8 9}

Research Team

Katelyn Kopakin, MA

Principal Investigator

Jewish Family Children's Services of the Suncoast, Inc.

Eligibility Criteria

The REACH trial is for adults over 18 living in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties on the Gulf Coast of Florida who want to improve their marriage or committed relationship skills. It's not open to those under 18 or living outside these areas.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 18 years old or older.

I want to learn how to strengthen my marriage or committed relationship.

Reside in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties on the Gulf Coast of Florida

Exclusion Criteria

I am under 18 years old.

Do not reside in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants in the experimental group receive Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) classes weekly and meet with their Case Manager as needed

22 weeks

Weekly classes and meetings as needed

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for outcomes using Family Environment Survey (FES), Economic Self-Sufficiency Scale (ESS), and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS)

22 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention (Behavioral Intervention)

Trial Overview REACH tests a program called Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention aimed at fostering healthy relationships, effective parenting/co-parenting, economic self-sufficiency, and family stability.

Participant Groups

Group I: Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The Intervention group will be assigned a Case Manager and begin Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) class weekly and meet with their Case Manager as needed.

Group II: Wait list control Active Control 1 Intervention

The Control group will be placed on a wait-list and offered services as soon as they complete the study's final 22-week follow-up measures. Control participants will not be assigned a Case Manager and will not receive any comparable services from our agency until they complete their 22-week measures.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Jewish Family & Children's Service of the Suncoast, Inc.

Lead Sponsor

Trials

3

Recruited

2,400+

Findings from Research

The Marital-relationship enhancement program (MREP) significantly improved marital satisfaction, positive emotions, conflict regulation, and communication among couples, based on a randomized controlled trial with 71 participants (36 in the treatment group and 35 in the control group).

The findings suggest that MREP, based on Gottman's theory, can be an effective intervention for enhancing marital relationships and may help in preventing divorce.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[A marital-relationship enhancement program for couples: randomized controlled trial]. Kong, SS.[2019]

The Relationship Matters (RM) program significantly improved relationship satisfaction among couples living with multiple sclerosis (MS) over a 3-month follow-up period, compared to a control group that did not receive the intervention.

Participants in the RM program also reported enhancements in mental health-related quality of life, communication, conflict resolution, and their ability to manage MS-specific relationship challenges.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of a relationship enrichment program for couples living with multiple sclerosis. Tompkins, SA., Roeder, JA., Thomas, JJ., et al.[2021]

Marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs significantly improve relationship quality (effect sizes d = .30 to .36) and communication skills (effect sizes d = .43 to .45), based on a meta-analysis of 117 studies involving over 500 effect sizes.

Moderate-dosage MRE programs were found to be more effective than low-dosage programs, but the research lacks diversity in racial/ethnic and economic backgrounds, limiting conclusions about MRE's effectiveness for disadvantaged couples.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does marriage and relationship education work? A meta-analytic study. Hawkins, AJ., Blanchard, VL., Baldwin, SA., et al.[2009]

Therapy programs within marriage and relationship programs (MRPs) significantly improve couples' relationship satisfaction (CRS), especially for wives, with a pooled mean difference of 0.53, indicating a strong positive effect.

Enhancement programs also positively impact couples' relationship communication (CRC), showing a pooled mean difference of 1.31, while educational programs had a smaller effect, particularly on women, suggesting targeted approaches may be necessary for effective communication improvement.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improved couple satisfaction and communication with marriage and relationship programs: are there gender differences?-a systematic review and meta-analysis. Javadivala, Z., Allahverdipour, H., Asghari Jafarabadi, M., et al.[2021]

Marriage and relationship education (MRE) shows modest effectiveness in improving communication skills among couples, functioning as both a universal prevention for well-functioning couples and a selective prevention for distressed couples, based on a meta-analysis of 143 evaluation studies.

Observational assessments of MRE effects yielded larger improvements compared to self-report assessments, suggesting that the method of evaluation may influence perceived outcomes, although the reasons for this difference are not fully understood.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Investigating the effects of marriage and relationship education on couples' communication skills: a meta-analytic study. Blanchard, VL., Hawkins, AJ., Baldwin, SA., et al.[2009]

Couples experiencing relationship distress are increasingly attending Couple and Relationship Education (CRE) programs, raising questions about the effectiveness of these programs for this specific group.

The study found that the dosage and duration of participation in CRE programs significantly influence outcomes, suggesting that tailored approaches based on distress levels and time spent in the program are essential for improving effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

It's About Time! Examining Received Dosage and Program Duration as Predictors of Change Among Non-Distressed and Distressed Married Couple and Relationship Education Participants. Bradford, AB., Drean, L., Adler-Baeder, F., et al.[2019]

Couple relationship education (RE) has been shown to help maintain relationship satisfaction over time, with 14 out of 17 studies indicating positive effects in couples assessed at least one year after the program.

Couples facing modifiable risk factors see significant benefits from RE, while those with low risk factors or unmodifiable risks may not experience the same advantages, highlighting the need for tailored approaches in relationship education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of relationship education on maintenance of couple relationship satisfaction. Halford, WK., Bodenmann, G.[2013]

A new marital enrichment program (MEP) significantly improved marital functioning, including adjustment and communication, in couples over a 20-hour intervention, as measured by various self-inventories and behavioral scales.

The positive effects of the MEP were not only immediate but also sustained for a year after the program, indicating its potential as an effective long-term strategy for enhancing couple relationships.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Short- and long-term effects of a marital enrichment program upon couple functioning. Adam, D., Gingras, M.[2004]

The author acknowledges the support from Hawkins et al. regarding the efficacy of government-supported marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs for lower-income couples, suggesting that these programs can be beneficial.

The discussion emphasizes that the benefits of MRE programs for disadvantaged couples may outweigh their costs, highlighting the importance of continued research and dialogue in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimistic or quixotic? More data on marriage and relationship education programs for lower income couples. Johnson, MD.[2013]

References

1. Korea (South) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[A marital-relationship enhancement program for couples: randomized controlled trial]. [2019]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of a relationship enrichment program for couples living with multiple sclerosis. [2021]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does marriage and relationship education work? A meta-analytic study. [2009]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improved couple satisfaction and communication with marriage and relationship programs: are there gender differences?-a systematic review and meta-analysis. [2021]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Investigating the effects of marriage and relationship education on couples' communication skills: a meta-analytic study. [2009]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

It's About Time! Examining Received Dosage and Program Duration as Predictors of Change Among Non-Distressed and Distressed Married Couple and Relationship Education Participants. [2019]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of relationship education on maintenance of couple relationship satisfaction. [2013]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Short- and long-term effects of a marital enrichment program upon couple functioning. [2004]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimistic or quixotic? More data on marriage and relationship education programs for lower income couples. [2013]