This brief discusses the impact unmet childhood needs have on adults and on their marriage, and reviews what kind of marriage children must witness to become healthy adults and create a happy marriage of their own. It cites findings from a study that indicates children need an environment infused with reliable warmth, a free flow […]

This article notes the absence of any serious consideration or even discussion of the potential interactions between relationship status and stability and the sexual and reproductive health of individuals and couples. Findings are shared that indicate stable relationships foster better reproductive and sexual health outcomes, reproductive health outcomes affect relationship stability, and that marriage is […]

In this article, Winters mentions the role of the federal government in fostering marriage in order to put children in stable, two-parent homes. The article also discusses the following: how President George W. Bush’s Healthy Marriage Initiative funds courses such as the Healthy Relationships and Marriage Education course; consideration of how critics are concerned that […]

Three marital enrichment programs were evaluated to determine their effectiveness with a newlywed population. Seventy-one couples were divided among three groups, and 28 couples were assigned to a control group. Results were mixed when treatment groups were combined and compared to the control group. While t-tests using change scores demonstrated significant differences on some important […]

This article explores the impact of divorce on children and a new book that promotes staying in a marriage for the sake of children. Findings from “”The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce”” (Wallerstein) are shared and indicate: children take a long-time to get over divorce; the most harmful effects tend to show up as the children […]

This paper reviews research findings that indicate the effectiveness of marriage education and urges the inclusion of President Bush’s marriage initiative in welfare reform legislation. Findings indicate: 29 peer-reviewed social science journal articles that integrate findings from over 100 separate evaluations provide ample evidence that marriage education, training, and counseling programs significantly strengthen marriage; one […]

This brief identifies factors that predict a satisfying marriage, including individual traits, couple traits, and personal and relationship contexts. It then discusses how couples can assess these factors in their relationships by using a comprehensive premarital assessment questionnaire (PAQs) and interpreting the results with their partner. Three PAQs are highlighted: Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding […]

Controlled studies evaluating the efficacy of behavioral marital therapy (BMT) have not shed light on the clinical significance of reported treatment effects, nor have proportions of improved clients been reported in a consistent or rigorous manner. Using a reliable change index to classify couples receiving BMT into categories of improved, unimproved, or deteriorated, and using […]

Focuses on the efforts of individuals, churches and parachurch organizations to help families. Marriage Enrichment and Marriage Encounter’s (ME) weekend growth retreats for married couples; Prison Fellowship’s worship services and Bible studies; secular organizations providing information and resources for blended families; premarital counseling programs; and Christian parent-education programs are a few of the types of […]

This article describes federally funded State strategies for promoting marriage and the expansion of such initiatives under proposed legislation by President Bush. A proposed requirement that States include explicit descriptions of their family-formation and healthy-marriage efforts in their welfare plans is also discussed, as well as controversy over the marriage promotion initiatives.