ERIC Number: EJ734192
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Feb
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-006X
EISSN: N/A
Promoting Healthy Beginnings: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Preventive Intervention to Preserve Marital Quality During the Transition to Parenthood
Schulz, Marc S.; Cowan, Carolyn Pape; Cowan, Philip A.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, v74 n1 p20-31 Feb 2006
Couples expecting their first child were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 28) and comparison groups (n = 38) to assess the efficacy of a couples intervention and examine marital satisfaction trajectories across the transition to parenthood. The primarily European American sample (M age = 30 years) completed assessments of marital satisfaction at 5 points from the final trimester of pregnancy to 66 months postpartum. Growth curve analyses indicated a normative linear decline in marital satisfaction. Intervention participants experienced significantly less decline than comparison participants, providing support for the efficacy of the intervention. Comparable childless couples (n = 13) did not show a decline in marital satisfaction. The results suggest that early family transitions that strain couple relationships provide critical opportunities for preventive interventions to strengthen marriage.
Descriptors: Parents, Marriage Counseling, Intervention, Pregnancy, Marital Satisfaction, Childlessness, Prevention, Interpersonal Relationship, Family Life
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org/publications.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A