Empirically Based Couple Relationship Education

Couple relationship education (CRE) is the provision of structured education intended to promote healthy couple relationships and prevent future relationship distress. CRE usually is brief, ranging in length from a single session (involving an assessment of the relationship with discussion of current strengths and challenges) to 12 to 14 hours of a skill-training curriculum. Research indicates that 10 or more hours of curriculum-based CRE produces short-term improvements in couple communication and relationship satisfaction; these findings have been well replicated. Though there is less research investigating the long-term effects of CRE, the available evidence suggests there is a benefit of CRE for couples at elevated risk of future relationship problems. Future research needs to further clarify which couples benefit from CRE, refine how CRE curriculum is tailored to address couples’ relationship needs, and enhance the reach of CRE to increase its community impact.