Publication year
2005
Citation Title
Dissemination and evaluation of marriage education in the Army.
Journal Name
Family Process
Journal Volume
44
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
187-201
DOI
10.1111/j.1545-5300.2005.00053.x
Summary
An evaluation of the prevention and relationship enhancement program in two separate samples in which at least one member of the couple was on Active Duty in the U.S. Army was conducted. The intervention was delivered by Army chaplains in a two weekend retreat format. Overall, couples participating in the marriage education program demonstrated improvements in relationship functioning.
Key Findings
Couples reported significant gains in relationship confidence from pre- to post- program.
The use of time out strategy by couples significantly increased from pre- to post-program, and continued to be used at the one-month follow up.
Couples also showed improvements from pre- to post- program in their ability to talk about Army issues as a couple.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop online modules that focus on effective relationship building strategies for Service members and their partners
Disseminate information regarding possible relationship stressors for Service members and the potential benefits of marriage education programs
Engage young military couples in workshops that focus on developing healthy relationship and communication skills
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote the development of support structures (e.g. counseling, community network) within military branches for Service members and their partners during times of stress (e.g., relocation, deployment)
Encourage awareness among professionals working with Service members families and communities about the effects of stressful experiences on the well-being of Service members and their relationships
Support marriage education programs that address the unique challenges military couples face
Methods
Participants were recruited across 11 brigades and targeted recruitment on young, newly enlisted couples who may be more vulnerable to Army-related stressors.
Participants completed a pre- and post-program measures related to their relationship satisfaction and interaction patterns.
Data analysis focused on changes from the beginning to the end of the marriage education program in relationship quality by gender and White vs. non-White couples, and longer-term changes in a one-month follow up.
Participants
Participants were couples with one member on Active Duty in the U.S. Army, typically the male.
In study one, 230 couples participated and completed the pre-post survey and 60 couples completed the 1- month follow-up; whereas, in study two, 105 couples participated and completed the pre-post survey, and 47 couples completed the one month follow-up.
In both studies participants represented diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds which mirrored the makeup of the U.S. Army.
Limitations
There was not a representative sample of military couples as a comparison group in either study; which limits what can be said about the effectiveness of this particular program.
This study only focused on Army couples, which limits the interpretation of findings to other branches.
Less than half of the participants participated in the one-month follow up, which could bias the findings.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore the association between military families, military stressors, and relationship satisfaction
Engage in process-oriented and longitudinal studies that help determine the factors that contribute to marital quality and stability over time in military marriages
Investigate in depth dual-military couples and the degree to which they are at increased risk for lower marital quality and greater instability
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
The effectiveness of marriage education was evaluated in two separate samples of primarily married couples in which at least one member of the couple was on active duty in the U.S. Army. The intervention was delivered by Army chaplains. Effects replicated well in the two samples, and demonstrated that marriage education was well received by this population and resulted in improvements in relationship functioning. Changes in relationship quality were examined separately for males and females, and also for couples in which both members of the couple were Caucasian as compared with all other couples. There were no significant differences in changes over time (i.e., from pre- to postmarriage education) among males and females or among couples with different ethnic makeup. These results have important implications for the generalizability of marriage education to diverse samples in nontraditional contexts.
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