TY - JOUR
T1 - Online programs improve relationship functioning for distressed low-income couples
T2 - Results from a nationwide randomized controlled trial
AU - Doss, Brian D.
AU - Knopp, Kayla
AU - Roddy, McKenzie K.
AU - Rothman, Karen
AU - Hatch, S. Gabe
AU - Rhoades, Galena K.
N1 - Funding Information:
Brian D. Doss is a coinventor of the intellectual property used in this study and an equity owner in OurRelationship LLC. To protect against conflicts of interest, and consistent with funder requirements, all data management and analyses for this article were conducted by Kayla Knopp and Galena K. Rhoades—the external evaluators at the University of Denver. Funding for this project was approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant 90FM0063. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. We thank Scott Braithwaite (who served as the ePREP supervisor), the project coordinators (Adriana Bracho and Samantha Joseph), all of the coaches who provided services during this project, and the couples who entrusted us with their relationships.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2020/4
Y1 - 2020/4
N2 - Objective: Although low-income couples experience greater relationship challenges, they have limited access to effective relationship interventions. Furthermore, most previous efforts to improve low-income couples' relationships have yielded very small effects (Hawkins & Erickson, 2015). In an effort to overcome these limitations, this study investigated the effectiveness of 2 web-based interventions for low-income couples. Method: In total, 742 low-income couples (N = 1,484 individuals; mean [M] age = 33; 55% White, non-Hispanic; 52% married; median [Mdn] annual household income = $27,000) were recruited nationally and randomized to the OurRelationship program, the ePREP program, or a waitlist control group. Couples were repeatedly assessed for 6 months using self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, communication conflict, intimate partner violence, emotional support, and breakup potential. Relationship status was assessed at 6-month follow-up. Results: Compared to the control group, intervention couples experienced significantly greater improvements in all 5 domains of relationship functioning (Mdn |d| = 0.46) by the end of the program; these effects were maintained in the 4 months after treatment. However, neither program significantly reduced the frequency of breakups by the 6-month follow-up. Differences between couples in the two interventions were minimal (Mdn Cohen's |d| = 0.11); however, couples in the OurRelationship program experienced significantly greater decreases in conflict (d = 0.24). Conclusions: The results indicate that brief, web-based interventions can serve a central role in delivering effective services to low-income couples. Additionally, the general equivalence of the two interventions indicates that both communication-focused and problem-focused interventions can be successful in improving the relationship functioning of low-income couples.
AB - Objective: Although low-income couples experience greater relationship challenges, they have limited access to effective relationship interventions. Furthermore, most previous efforts to improve low-income couples' relationships have yielded very small effects (Hawkins & Erickson, 2015). In an effort to overcome these limitations, this study investigated the effectiveness of 2 web-based interventions for low-income couples. Method: In total, 742 low-income couples (N = 1,484 individuals; mean [M] age = 33; 55% White, non-Hispanic; 52% married; median [Mdn] annual household income = $27,000) were recruited nationally and randomized to the OurRelationship program, the ePREP program, or a waitlist control group. Couples were repeatedly assessed for 6 months using self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, communication conflict, intimate partner violence, emotional support, and breakup potential. Relationship status was assessed at 6-month follow-up. Results: Compared to the control group, intervention couples experienced significantly greater improvements in all 5 domains of relationship functioning (Mdn |d| = 0.46) by the end of the program; these effects were maintained in the 4 months after treatment. However, neither program significantly reduced the frequency of breakups by the 6-month follow-up. Differences between couples in the two interventions were minimal (Mdn Cohen's |d| = 0.11); however, couples in the OurRelationship program experienced significantly greater decreases in conflict (d = 0.24). Conclusions: The results indicate that brief, web-based interventions can serve a central role in delivering effective services to low-income couples. Additionally, the general equivalence of the two interventions indicates that both communication-focused and problem-focused interventions can be successful in improving the relationship functioning of low-income couples.
KW - Couples
KW - Low-income
KW - Online intervention
KW - Relationship education
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081607351&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85081607351&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/ccp0000479
DO - 10.1037/ccp0000479
M3 - Article
C2 - 32134290
AN - SCOPUS:85081607351
VL - 88
SP - 283
EP - 294
JO - Journal of Consulting Psychology
JF - Journal of Consulting Psychology
SN - 0022-006X
IS - 4
ER -