Relationship Enhancement Program for Marital Challenges

(REACH Trial)

Overseen By Andrew Truman, BS

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Jewish Family & Children's Service of the Suncoast, Inc.

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Non-resident, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

900 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to help individuals improve their relationship and marriage skills, become better parents, and achieve greater financial stability. Participants will engage in a Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) program, which includes weekly classes and support from a case manager. Residents of Sarasota, Manatee, or Charlotte counties in Florida who are interested in strengthening their marriage or committed relationship may be suitable candidates for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to enhance personal and family well-being through proven relationship-building strategies.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this program is safe for participants?

A previous study on the Marital-relationship Enhancement Program (MREP) showed positive results. It significantly improved participants' marital satisfaction, communication, and conflict management. This suggests that the Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention is well-received.

While specific negative effects for the MRES Intervention are not documented, similar programs have helped couples strengthen their relationships. These programs usually focus on improving relationship skills and have not reported safety concerns. Since this trial does not test a medical treatment, typical side effects like those from medications do not apply. Instead, it focuses on teaching skills to enhance relationships, which is generally safe for participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Most treatments for marital challenges involve traditional couples therapy or counseling. However, the Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention stands out because it provides participants with a Case Manager and a structured class that focuses on developing specific relationship skills. This approach offers personalized support and practical skill-building, which can lead to more sustainable improvements in relationships. Researchers are excited about this intervention because it goes beyond typical therapy by offering continuous guidance and tailored strategies, which could enhance the effectiveness of addressing marital challenges.

What evidence suggests that the Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention is effective for improving marital challenges?

Research has shown that Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) programs, which participants in this trial may receive, can improve relationships. Studies have found that these programs increase marital happiness, positive feelings, and communication. For instance, participants in similar programs reported handling conflicts better and feeling more empathy for their partners. Another study found that these programs significantly boost closeness and emotional security in marriages. Overall, strong evidence indicates that MRES programs can help couples strengthen their relationships and feel more satisfied. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Katelyn Kopakin, MA

Principal Investigator

Jewish Family Children's Services of the Suncoast, Inc.

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

The REACH trial is for adults over 18 living in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties on the Gulf Coast of Florida who want to improve their marriage or committed relationship skills. It's not open to those under 18 or living outside these areas.

Inclusion Criteria

I want to learn how to strengthen my marriage or committed relationship.

Reside in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties on the Gulf Coast of Florida

Exclusion Criteria

I am under 18 years old.

Do not reside in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants in the experimental group receive Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) classes weekly and meet with their Case Manager as needed

22 weeks

Weekly classes and meetings as needed

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for outcomes using Family Environment Survey (FES), Economic Self-Sufficiency Scale (ESS), and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS)

22 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention

Trial Overview REACH tests a program called Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention aimed at fostering healthy relationships, effective parenting/co-parenting, economic self-sufficiency, and family stability.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The Intervention group will be assigned a Case Manager and begin Marriage and Relationship Enhancement Skills (MRES) class weekly and meet with their Case Manager as needed.

Group II: Wait list control Active Control 1 Intervention

The Control group will be placed on a wait-list and offered services as soon as they complete the study's final 22-week follow-up measures. Control participants will not be assigned a Case Manager and will not receive any comparable services from our agency until they complete their 22-week measures.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Jewish Family & Children's Service of the Suncoast, Inc.

Lead Sponsor

Trials

3

Recruited

2,400+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs significantly improve relationship quality (effect sizes d = .30 to .36) and communication skills (effect sizes d = .43 to .45), based on a meta-analysis of 117 studies involving over 500 effect sizes.

Moderate-dosage MRE programs were found to be more effective than low-dosage programs, but the research lacks diversity in racial/ethnic and economic backgrounds, limiting conclusions about MRE's effectiveness for disadvantaged couples.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does marriage and relationship education work? A meta-analytic study. Hawkins, AJ., Blanchard, VL., Baldwin, SA., et al.[2009]

Couple relationship education (RE) has been shown to help maintain relationship satisfaction over time, with 14 out of 17 studies indicating positive effects in couples assessed at least one year after the program.

Couples facing modifiable risk factors see significant benefits from RE, while those with low risk factors or unmodifiable risks may not experience the same advantages, highlighting the need for tailored approaches in relationship education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of relationship education on maintenance of couple relationship satisfaction. Halford, WK., Bodenmann, G.[2013]

The Marital-relationship enhancement program (MREP) significantly improved marital satisfaction, positive emotions, conflict regulation, and communication among couples, based on a randomized controlled trial with 71 participants (36 in the treatment group and 35 in the control group).

The findings suggest that MREP, based on Gottman's theory, can be an effective intervention for enhancing marital relationships and may help in preventing divorce.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[A marital-relationship enhancement program for couples: randomized controlled trial]. Kong, SS.[2019]

The Relationship Matters (RM) program significantly improved relationship satisfaction among couples living with multiple sclerosis (MS) over a 3-month follow-up period, compared to a control group that did not receive the intervention.

Participants in the RM program also reported enhancements in mental health-related quality of life, communication, conflict resolution, and their ability to manage MS-specific relationship challenges.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of a relationship enrichment program for couples living with multiple sclerosis. Tompkins, SA., Roeder, JA., Thomas, JJ., et al.[2021]

A new marital enrichment program (MEP) significantly improved marital functioning, including adjustment and communication, in couples over a 20-hour intervention, as measured by various self-inventories and behavioral scales.

The positive effects of the MEP were not only immediate but also sustained for a year after the program, indicating its potential as an effective long-term strategy for enhancing couple relationships.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Short- and long-term effects of a marital enrichment program upon couple functioning. Adam, D., Gingras, M.[2004]

Marriage and relationship education (MRE) shows modest effectiveness in improving communication skills among couples, functioning as both a universal prevention for well-functioning couples and a selective prevention for distressed couples, based on a meta-analysis of 143 evaluation studies.

Observational assessments of MRE effects yielded larger improvements compared to self-report assessments, suggesting that the method of evaluation may influence perceived outcomes, although the reasons for this difference are not fully understood.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Investigating the effects of marriage and relationship education on couples' communication skills: a meta-analytic study. Blanchard, VL., Hawkins, AJ., Baldwin, SA., et al.[2009]

Therapy programs within marriage and relationship programs (MRPs) significantly improve couples' relationship satisfaction (CRS), especially for wives, with a pooled mean difference of 0.53, indicating a strong positive effect.

Enhancement programs also positively impact couples' relationship communication (CRC), showing a pooled mean difference of 1.31, while educational programs had a smaller effect, particularly on women, suggesting targeted approaches may be necessary for effective communication improvement.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improved couple satisfaction and communication with marriage and relationship programs: are there gender differences?-a systematic review and meta-analysis. Javadivala, Z., Allahverdipour, H., Asghari Jafarabadi, M., et al.[2021]

Couples experiencing relationship distress are increasingly attending Couple and Relationship Education (CRE) programs, raising questions about the effectiveness of these programs for this specific group.

The study found that the dosage and duration of participation in CRE programs significantly influence outcomes, suggesting that tailored approaches based on distress levels and time spent in the program are essential for improving effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

It's About Time! Examining Received Dosage and Program Duration as Predictors of Change Among Non-Distressed and Distressed Married Couple and Relationship Education Participants. Bradford, AB., Drean, L., Adler-Baeder, F., et al.[2019]

The author acknowledges the support from Hawkins et al. regarding the efficacy of government-supported marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs for lower-income couples, suggesting that these programs can be beneficial.

The discussion emphasizes that the benefits of MRE programs for disadvantaged couples may outweigh their costs, highlighting the importance of continued research and dialogue in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimistic or quixotic? More data on marriage and relationship education programs for lower income couples. Johnson, MD.[2013]

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-intervention-1-2022-abc5d

Relationship Enhancement Program for Marital Challenges The Marital-relationship enhancement program (MREP) significantly improved marital satisfaction, positive emotions, conflict regulation, and communication among ...

2. healthymarriageinfo.org healthymarriageinfo.org/resource-detail/marriage-and-relationship-education-mre-research-on-effectiveness-and-implementation-collection-by-topic/

Marriage and Relationship Education (MRE): Research on ... This collection presents the evidence base to date on the effectiveness of MRE programs as well as challenges and best practices in implementing these programs.

3. tandfonline.com tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01494929.2025.2541844?src=exp-la

A Marriage Skills Intervention to Improve the Marital ... A mixed-methods evaluation showed significant improvement in couples' communication and conflict management, awareness and empathy for each ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8215832/

Improved couple satisfaction and communication with ... We aimed to investigate the effect of marriage and relationship programs (MRP) on couples' relationship satisfaction (CRS) and couples' relationship ...

5. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/364651291_The_Effectiveness_of_Marriage_Enrichment_Training_of_TIME_Plan_on_Improving_Marital_Intimacy_and_Women's_Psychological_Security

(PDF) The Effectiveness of Marriage Enrichment Training ... This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Training in Marriage Enrichment (TIME) plan on increasing marital intimacy and psychological security ...

6. healthymarriageinfo.org healthymarriageinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2797.pdf

Marriage and Relationship Education (MRE) Program ... The NHMRC has developed numerous resources and provided training and technical assistance to the 125 federally funded healthy marriage grantees for five years.

7. acf.gov acf.gov/opre/report/improving-healthy-marriage-and-relationship-education-hmre-programs-unmarried-couples

Improving Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education ... Healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) programs for couples with children aim to strengthen couples' relationships and ultimately improve the well- ...

8. mdrc.org mdrc.org/work/publications/family-strengthening-program-low-income-families/file-full

The Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation The study hypothesized that building parents' relationship skills would support more positive outcomes for parents, such as improved marital quality and reduced ...

9. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11349501/

Interventions to Address the Health and Well-Being of Married ... A review of the mental health consequences of child marriage revealed depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and attempts, as well as ...