ERIC Number: EJ940955
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Oct
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-006X
EISSN: N/A
Observed Communication in Couples Two Years after Integrative and Traditional Behavioral Couple Therapy: Outcome and Link with Five-Year Follow-up
Baucom, Katherine J. W.; Sevier, Mia; Eldridge, Kathleen A.; Doss, Brian D.; Christensen, Andrew
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, v79 n5 p565-576 Oct 2011
Objective: To examine changes in observed communication after therapy termination in distressed couples from a randomized clinical trial. Method: A total of 134 distressed couples were randomly assigned to either traditional behavioral couple therapy (TBCT; Jacobson & Margolin, 1979) or integrative behavioral couple therapy (IBCT; Jacobson & Christensen, 1998). Videotaped samples of each couple's interactions were coded from pre-therapy, post-therapy, and 2-year follow-up assessments. At these 3 time points, each partner chose 1 current relationship problem to discuss. Relationship satisfaction was assessed at 2-year follow-up, and clinically significant treatment response and marital status were assessed 5 years after treatment. Results: Observed negativity and withdrawal decreased from therapy termination through the 2-year follow-up as expected, but problem solving did not change, and observed positivity "decreased." IBCT produced superior changes from post-therapy to the 2-year follow-up assessment compared with TBCT. Post-therapy levels and changes in communication over follow-up were associated with wife satisfaction at 2-year follow-up; only post-therapy to 2-year follow-up changes in communication were associated with husband satisfaction at 2-year follow-up. Post-therapy levels of problem solving and changes in wives' positivity from pre-therapy to post-therapy were associated with 5-year relationship outcomes. We found some counterintuitive results with positivity, but they were no longer significant after controlling for withdrawal. Conclusions: We found support for improvements in observed communication following treatment termination, with IBCT demonstrating greater maintenance of communication improvement over follow-up. We found limited evidence of associations between communication and relationship outcomes at 5-year follow-up. (Contains 2 figures, 4 tables, and 5 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Evidence, Marital Status, Problem Solving, Marriage Counseling, Therapy, Interpersonal Relationship, Comparative Analysis, Spouses, Adult Education, Clinical Psychology, Longitudinal Studies, Behavioral Science Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A