LONG TERM EFFECT OF PREMARITAL INTERVENTION

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DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Applicant's Abstract): Funding is sought to continue a large-scale community based prevention trial of a program designed to lower risk factors (e.g., teaching skills for handling conflict) and raise protective factors (e.g., increasing levels of commitment) known to contribute to marital success and mental health outcomes for premarital couples. In the most recent funding period our major aim was to evaluate the extent to which we could train clergy to deliver the PREP program in religious settings-settings in which most couples marry receive services. To the extent we can disseminate an effective program for divorce and distress prevention in the community, we can have a major impact on the high rates of destructive marital conflict and divorce, and associated mental health problems. To date, we have recruited 109 ROs, and randomly assigned the ROs to one of three groups: 1) PREP delivered by trained clergy (RO PREP); 2) PREP delivered by our University of Denver team (DU PREP); 3) Naturally occurring premarital programming (NO). By using a randomly selected alternative intervention group (NO vs. a waiting list control group, for example), this design enables us to avoid the selection effects that have plagued other prevention trials in this area. Results indicate that the NO group deteriorates over time (from Pre to Post testing) on communication quality as rated by objective coders, and increases in levels of self-reported depression, while the two PREP groups improve. Longer term follow-up of the effects of the intervention programs will further assess marital outcomes, and rates and severity of depression and anxiety disorders among the groups. We propose 5 years of funding which will allow us to study couples through the highest risk period for divorce since the goals of prevention are by definition long-term and the highest risk period for rapid erosion of marital satisfaction and divorce is within the first 6-10 years of marriage (Glenn, 1998). Other aims include (2) assessing the ongoing use of the intervention by the ROs, (3) assessing the extent to which booster sessions can enhance the effectiveness of the intervention over time, (4) using the randomized trial we have established to test our theory of the development of marital distress, success, and mental health consequences (5) examining how marital distress, depression, aggression, and consequent mental disorders and impairment may evolve over time and (6) determining the extent to which a new version of PREP meets the needs of minority couples.