Substance abuse affects millions of families either directly or indirectly, and the abuse of both legal and illegal substances is a prominent concern for public health officials throughout the world. Many addicts who stop using point to the strength, persistence, and understanding they received from a spouse, family member or friend as a major reason […]
In 2009, more than seven million adults were incarcerated in the United States. Annual prisoner release rates have been rising due to budget cuts and prison crowding. Nearly 650,000 people are released from state and federal prison yearly and a 2002 study reported that within three years of their release, 67% of former prisoners were […]
An important and influential debate has been growing within the intimate partner violence (IPV) field for the past 15 or so years: Are there different types of intimate partner violence (commonly known as domestic violence), and if so, why does this matter? This debate can, and undoubtedly will, inform the field of marriage and relationship […]
Social networking sites have revolutionized the way many people interact and have created a variety of implications for intimate partner relationships. Facebook alone has more than 500 million users and half of its members log on to the site every day. Six percent of the U.S. adult population has a Twitter account, a mere five […]
Couples often struggle in their relationship for several years before reaching out for help. Sometimes the couple postpones seeking help for so long that the damage seems irreparable, leading to divorce. The reasons for delaying help vary, but the devastating end result often can be avoided—if the couple is aware of and willing to practice […]
Becoming parents is one of the biggest changes and challenges a couple can experience. Satisfaction typically declines in couple relationships over time, whether there is a new baby or not. But first time parents experience a greater and more sudden decline in marital satisfaction than married couples who are not parents. Approximately half of new […]
The fields of mental health and marriage/relationship education (MRE) both reflect knowledge and expertise in relationships and human communications. Together, they can support a common goal: to help individuals and couples form and maintain lasting, healthy relationships. This Tip Sheet is intended to give marriage/relationship educators information and ideas to develop partnerships with providers of […]
Benefits of the military family lifestyle include stable income, housing, health insurance and built-in support systems. Military families are frequently self-reliant and resourceful. They have a keen appreciation for diversity and global communities and a commitment to a national mission. A service member’s desire to return to his or her romantic partner and/or family is […]
New cancer diagnoses are expected to be around 1.5 million in 2010 (this number excludes some forms of skin cancer). The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 11.4 million Americans with a history of cancer were alive in January 2006. Some of these individuals were cancer-free while others still had evidence of cancer and may […]
One out of seven adults—an estimated 32 million adults in the United States—have low literacy skills. This makes it difficult for them to read anything more challenging than a children’s picture book. Low literacy is a great trial for delivering marriage and relationship education (MRE) or any other education-based prevention program. Thus, the need to […]