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Relationship standards are beliefs about what is important in a satisfying couple relationship, which vary considerably between cultures, and might mean that what couples seek from couple therapy differs across cultures. We assessed the standards of n = 49 Pakistani couples and whether those standards predicted couple satisfaction. To provide referents for the Pakistani standards, we also assessed selfreported relationship standards in n = 33 Western couples and n = 30 Chinese couples. Pakistani couples endorsed couple bond standards (e.g., expressions of love) as similarly important, and family responsibility (e.g., extended family relations) standards as more important, than Western or Chinese couples. In Pakistani couples, Couple Bond predicted couples' relationship satisfaction, but family responsibility and Religion predicted only wives' satisfaction. Modest sample sizes necessitate caution in interpreting results but suggest existing couple therapies might need modification to address the distinctive relationship standards of Pakistani couples.

Routine outcome measurement and progress monitoring is well established to enhance quality assurance in clinical psychology service delivery but is not widely used in routine care. A major barrier to more widespread implementation is the lack of public domain, brief, psychometrically sound outcome measures that easily integrate into clinical information systems. The current study assessed a brief 10-item version of the widely used Depression Anxiety Stress (DASS)-42 scale, which we called the Depression Anxiety Stress-10 (DASS-10) scale. In two clinical samples of adults (n = 1036, 445 men, 591 women; and n = 1084, 493 men, 591 women), the DASS-10 had a replicable two-level factor structure, which at the lower level had two factors assessing stress-anxiety and depression, which each loaded onto a superordinate psychological distress scale. The items in the distress score discriminated between a clinical sample (n = 376) and a community sample (n = 379) and were sensitive to clinical change. The measure has the potential to make routine outcome measurement and progress monitoring more cost-effective to implement than existing measures, particularly when integrated with practice management software to make administration, scoring, and use easy.

Research on couple relationships has increasingly focused on the concept of "we-ness", the subjective closeness of the couple bond, as crucial to predicting relationship outcomes including satisfaction and dissolution. However, diverging perspectives on the definition, terminology, and measurement of this concept persist. We drew upon social identity theorizing to clarify the nature of we-ness and investigate its predictive utility. Participants were 375 members of the general community in long-term intimate relationships. The sample were aged 18-74 (M = 37.22; SD = 12.00) and 69% were women. Participants completed seven measures of we-ness drawn from both the couple literature and the social identity literature. We used exploratory factor analyses to establish the latent structure of we-ness, and regression analyses to examine the utility of each we-ness factor in predicting relationship satisfaction and likelihood of dissolution. A four-factor solution was extracted and the factors were labeled couple identity, partner liking, relationship orientation, and partner similarity. Each of the four factors explained unique variance in relationship quality, with couple identity being most strongly associated with positive outcomes. We conclude that couple research can fruitfully draw upon social identity theorizing in conceptualizing we-ness. This has implications both for more effectively measuring key concepts and for more precisely targeting interventions in couple therapy.对伴侣关系的研究越来越关注 "我们 "这个概念，即主观方面认知的伴侣关系亲密度，它对预测伴侣关系的结果包括满意度和关系破裂至关重要。然而，对这一概念的定义、术语和测量仍然存在不同的观点。我们利用社会认同理论来阐明 "我们 "这个概念的本质并调查其预测效用。参与者是375名处于长期亲密关系的普通社区成员。该样本的年龄为18至74岁(M=37.22；SD=12.00)，69%为女性。参与者完成了七项关于 "我们“概念的测量，这些量表来自于关于伴侣关系研究的文献和社会认同相关研究文献。我们使用探索性因素分析来建立 "我们 "这个概念的潜在结构，并使用回归分析来探究每个 "我们 "的因素在预测关系满意度和关系破裂的可能性方面的效用。笔者提取了一个四因素解决方案，这四个因素具体被称为伴侣身份认同、伴侣好感、关系取向和伴侣相似性。四个因素中的每一个都解释了关系质量的独特变异，伴侣认同与积极正向的结果联系最紧密。我们的结论是，情侣方面的研究在概念化 "我们 "的时候可以有效地借鉴社会认同理论。这对更有效地测量关键概念，以及更精确地针对伴侣治疗的干预措施都有意义。.

Relationship standards are the beliefs people hold about what a good relationship should be like, which vary substantially across Western and Chinese cultures. The current study extends the assessment of couple relationship standards to Pakistan, a large, developing Muslim majority country with a distinctive collectivistic, hierarchical, religious, and tight culture. We administered the Cross-Cultural Couple Relationships Standards Scale to 354 Pakistanis and compared their standards with those of 312 Westerners living in Australia and 286 Chinese living in Hong Kong, China. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed an acceptable fit of a model of two positively correlated latent factors, Couple Bond and Family Responsibility, in each sample. We added two standards hypothesized likely to be of importance to Pakistanis: Religion and Relationship Self-Regulation. Pakistanis endorsed all standards as important; they endorsed Couple Bond standards more than Westerners or Chinese, and Family Responsibility standards a lot more than Westerners or Chinese. Gender differences were of very small effect size. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Mindfulness training has been incorporated into a variety of Western psychological therapies. However, Western psychological applications of mindfulness typically have not included 2 aspects of mindfulness central to traditional Buddhist teachings from which mindfulness is derived: first, that mindfulness is used to develop insights, and second that mindfulness enhances positive well-being, rather than just reducing psychological distress. Two studies evaluated the effects on positive well-being of the Insight-Based Mindfulness Program (IBMP), which extends the well-established Western mindfulness programs to incorporate the development of insight. In a randomized controlled trial with n = 141 Thai participants, and in an uncontrolled trial with n = 96 Australian participants, IBMP improved well-being and mindfulness, developed key insights, and reduced psychological distress. A multilevel model of trajectory of change across the course of IBMP through to a 6-week follow-up showed most change was evident in the first half of IBMP, with gains being maintained through to follow-up. Effects were very similar for Thai and Australian participants, showing the program has cross-cultural applicability.

This invited paper is a review of the significance of couple relationships to the practice of all therapists. The article begins with a summary of the evidence on the centrality of committed couple relationships to the lives and wellbeing of adults, and the association of the quality of the parents’ couple relationship on the wellbeing of children. We argue that the well-established reciprocal association between individual problems and couple relationship problems means that all therapists need to pay attention to how a couple relationship might be influencing a client's functioning, even if the relationship is not the presenting problem. There is an outline the evolution of current approaches to behavioural couple therapy, and the current state of the art and science of couple therapy. We present an analysis of the evidence for couple therapy as a treatment for relationship distress, as well as couple-based treatments for individual problems. This is followed by a description of the distinctive challenges in working with couples and how to address those challenges, and recommendations about how to address the needs of diverse couple relationships. Finally, we propose some core therapist competencies needed to work effectively with couples.

Objective: To examine couple and parenting outcomes from an American version of Couple CARE for Parents (CCP) in low-income, unmarried couples. Background: We adapted an evidence-based, flexibly delivered program for use with low-income, unmarried couples, for whom the outcome literature is scarce. Method: Couples (N = 443) were recruited from maternity units and began CCP. They completed measures before, during, and immediately after the intervention and again 6 months later. Results: Experience of moderate psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) declined and perceived parenting efficacy increased over time; there was no change in severe psychological or physical IPV. Individuals with lower levels of relationship commitment than their partners showed improvement in relationship satisfaction, whereas those with similar or higher levels of commitment maintained their baseline levels despite being in a period of expected satisfaction decline. Conclusion: CCP showed some signs of helping low-income couples during a stressful period, and its flexible service delivery model allowed these couples to participate by reducing the impediments of transportation challenges, conflicting work schedules, and overall time poverty. Implications: The results of this study suggest practitioners interested in using CCP with low-income couples would likely maximize the impact by (a) focusing on pregnant, first-time parents; (b) integrating CCP within postnatal health care; and (c) assuming that a considerable minority of couples will avail themselves of only up to two sessions, and thus practitioners should frontload content, making other content optional or just-in-time. In addition, nonpsychoeducational elements (e.g., gamification, easy computerized tasks to reduce angry responses, watching couple-themed movies) could enliven preventative offerings for perinatal couples.

Couple satisfaction has been extensively investigated, but little attention has been paid to the nature and assessment of high-quality, flourishing couple relationships. Particularly, current measures of relationship quality are insensitive at the upper end of the continuum, which in turn hinders progress toward understanding and facilitating flourishing couple relationships. Drawing on concepts developed in positive psychology, we proposed a theoretical framework of couple flourishing that incorporates hedonic and eudemonic components. Items to assess these aspects of couple flourishing were generated and administered online to a sample of 1,116 participants. Using combined methods of classical test theory and item response theory (IRT), we selected the most informative items to form 4-, 8-, 16-item versions of a Couple Flourishing Measure (CFM). IRT analyses show that the CFM discriminated variation at the upper range of relationship quality better than widely used measures of relationship satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that couple flourishing was related to, but distinguishable from, relationship satisfaction. In an independent sample of 330 participants, we replicated the unifactorial structure of the CFM, and the distinguishability of couple flourishing from couple satisfaction. This research offers new insight into the concept of relationship flourishing. The sensitivity of the CFM at the high end of relationship quality makes it possible to test for predictors of relationship flourishing and evaluate interventions that seek to enhance flourishing.La satisfacción en la pareja se ha investigado exhaustivamente, pero se ha prestado poca atención a la índole y a la evaluación de las relaciones de pareja de alta calidad y prósperas. Particularmente, los instrumentos de medición actuales de la calidad de las relaciones no captan el extremo superior del proceso, lo cual a su vez obstaculiza el avance hacia la comprensión y la facilitación de las relaciones de pareja prósperas. Utilizando conceptos desarrollados en la psicología positiva, propusimos un marco teórico de prosperidad de la pareja que incorpora componentes hedónicos y eudemónicos. Los ítems para evaluar estos aspectos de la prosperidad de la pareja se generaron y se administraron en línea a una muestra de 1116 participantes. Utilizando métodos combinados de la teoría clásica de las evaluaciones y la teoría de respuesta a ítems, elegimos los ítems más informativos para formar versiones de 4, 8 y 16 ítems de un instrumento de medición de la prosperidad de la pareja. Los análisis de la teoría de respuesta a ítems indican que el instrumento de medición de la prosperidad de la pareja discriminó mejor la variación en el rango superior de la calidad de la relación que los instrumentos de medición de la satisfacción en la relación de uso generalizado. El análisis factorial confirmatorio indicó que la prosperidad de la pareja estuvo relacionada con la satisfacción en la relación, pero se diferenció de ella. En una muestra independiente de 330 participantes, reprodujimos la estructura unifactorial del instrumento de medición de la prosperidad de la pareja, y la diferenciación de la prosperidad de la pareja respecto de la satisfacción en la pareja. Esta investigación ofrece nuevos conocimientos sobre el concepto de prosperidad de la relación. La sensibilidad del instrumento de medición de la prosperidad de la pareja en el extremo superior de la calidad de la relación hace posible analizar los predictores de la prosperidad de la relación y evaluar las intervenciones orientadas a mejorar la prosperidad.人们对伴侣满意度的广泛研究很多, 但对质量高、发展良好的伴侣关系的性质和评估等方面的关注比较少。特别是对关系质量的衡量在连续体的高端是不敏感的, 这反过来阻碍了理解和促进关系的蓬勃发展。借鉴积极心理学的概念, 我们提出了一个伴侣关系蓬勃发展的理论框架, 它包含了享乐和幸福的成分。我们制作了评估伴侣关系良性发展方面相关的在线测试项目, 由1116名参与者答题作为样本。利用经典测量理论和项目反应理论 (IRT) 相结合的方法, 我们选择了信息量最大的项目, 形成了4个、8个、16个项目的伴侣关系发展测量表 (CFM) 。IRT分析表明, CFM比使用较为广泛的关系满意度的测量方法更能辨别关系质量上限的变化。验证性因子分析结果显示, 伴侣关系繁荣发展程度与关系满意度呈正相关, 但两者之间存在差异。在一个由330名参与者组成的独立样本中, 我们复制了CFM的单因素结构, 以及伴侣关系的蓬勃发展与伴侣关系满意度的区别性。这项研究为关系良性发展的概念提供了新的见解。在关系质量的高端, CFM的敏感性使我们有可能测试关系蓬勃发展的预测因素, 并评估寻求有效干预措施以促进关系蓬勃发展。.

This article systematically reviewed 34 rigorous evaluation studies of couple relationship education (CRE) programs from 2010 to 2019 that met the criteria for Level 1 well-established interventions. Significant advances include reaching more diverse and disadvantaged target populations with positive intervention effects on a wider range of outcomes beyond relationship quality, including physical and mental health, coparenting, and even child well-being, and evidence that high-risk couples often benefit the most. In addition, considerable progress has been made delivering effective online CRE, increasing services to individuals rather than to couples, and giving greater attention to youth and young adults to teach them principles and skills that may help them form healthy relationships. Ongoing challenges include expanding our understanding of program moderators and change mechanisms, attending to emerging everyday issues facing couples (e.g., healthy breaking ups, long-distance relationships) and gaining increased institutional support for CRE.

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are at higher risk for poor mental health than their heterosexual counterparts, and these disparities are largely accounted for by minority stressors. Less is known about the mechanisms underlying associations between minority stress and mental health. In a sample of 592 LGB adults (

Relationship standards are beliefs about what makes a good romantic relationship. To date, no research on relationship standards in same-sex relationships has been conducted. This paper describes development of the Rainbow Couples Relationship Standards Scale (Rainbow CRSS). In common with measures of relationship standards developed with heterosexuals, the Rainbow CRSS assesses the importance people attach to Couple Bond standards (expression of love, caring, intimacy), Family Responsibility standards (extended family relations, maintenance of face and harmony), Religion, and Relationship Effort standards. The Rainbow CRSS also assesses three standards hypothesized to be of particular importance to same-sex couples: Relationship Outness (public disclosure of the relationship), Sexual Openness (acceptance of open sexual relationship), and Dyadic Coping with Homophobic discrimination. Participants were 414 same-sex attracted men and women who completed the Rainbow CRSS online, plus some validation scales. The Rainbow CRSS showed a coherent two-level factor structure that was similar to that in heterosexual couples for the Couple Bond and Family Responsibility Scales. Same-sex attracted people's standards were similar for men and women, and for singles versus those in a relationship. Same-sex attracted people's standards were very similar in endorsement of Couple Bond, Family Responsibility, Religion, and Relationship Effort standards to those of heterosexuals. The Relationship Outness and Dyadic Coping with Homophobia scales assessed potentially important standards that reflect some distinctive challenges for same-sex couple relationships.La terapia familiar generalmente se ha conceptualizado como un proceso conversacional por medio del cual los terapeutas y los pacientes generan nuevos significados. Basándose en un estudio de tres años de prácticas conversacionales observables en procesos satisfactorios de terapia familiar de familias chilenas con un niño/adolescente que tiene comportamientos disruptivos, buscamos ejemplos clínicos de patrones interpersonales transformadores (PIT). Estos patrones son un aspecto clave del “IPscope” o instrumento de evaluación de los patrones interpersonales (Tomm, St. George, Wulff,Strong, 2014), un marco que usamos para analizar los procesos de creación de significado en la terapia familiar. Los patrones interpersonales transformadores constituyen un enfoque innovador para analizar los procesos terapéuticos mediante el reconocimiento de prácticas conversacionales fáciles de seguir empíricamente que participan en la generación de “significados nuevos”. Los patrones interpersonales transformadores intervienen en la presentación y la articulación discursiva (“convencer de crear”) de las manersa preferidas de los pacientes de relacionarse y vivir (p. ej.: preferencias relacionales o PR). Analizamos datos conversacionales de sesiones/tratamientos satisfactorios de terapia familiar y presentamos un modelo emergente de cinco categorías de prácticas conversacionales que constituyen patrones interpersonales transformadores, por ejemplo: PIT preparatorios, PIT identificadores, PIT localizadores, PIT transformadores y PIT consolidadores. Los hemos llamado “realizadores” porque estas prácticas conversacionales ayudan a las familias a convencerlas de crear (o a “hacer realidad”) preferencias relacionales particulares. También ofrecemos descriptores fáciles de usar de las subcategorías de los realizadores (p. ej.: PIT de medición) que pueden ayudar a los profesionales a reconocer, aprender y llevar a cabo estas invitaciones conversacionales. Se debaten las consecuencias teóricas y las futuras líneas de investigación.家庭治疗通常被认为是一种会话过程,通过会话治疗师和来访者共同构建新的意义。本研究基于对一个智利家庭的成功家庭治疗过程中为期三年的会话实践观察,试图从中寻找变革性人际交往模式(TIPs)的临床案例。参与研究的家庭有一个较多破坏性行为的少年。TIPs是IPscope (Tomm, St. George, Wulff,Strong, 2014)的一个重要方面,是我们用于探索家庭治疗中意义构建的过程所使用的一种框架。TIPs是一种新型的治疗方法,它在治疗过程中辨认区分那些实证性的可追踪的有关生成“新的意义”的会话实践。TIPs有关引导出并靠不断交谈传达出(即多说而成现实)来访者的偏好关联方式和生活方式(即关系偏好)。我们分析了成功的家庭治疗会谈/治疗处理时的交谈数据,提出五个自然显现出来的会话实践类别:准备TIPs、辨认TIPs、跟踪TIPs、改变TIPs、巩固TIPs。我们称他们为“实现者”,因为这些会话实践帮助家庭谈话中实现(或“变为现实”)某种特定的关系偏好。我们也提供对使用者友好的描述词来命名实现者的亚类别(如:测量性TIPs)以帮助行医者辨识、学习和实践这些会话邀请。本文也对理论上的成果和未来研究方向作了讨论。.

Most lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people want a stable, satisfying romantic relationship. Although many of the predictors of relationship outcomes are similar to those of heterosexual couples, same-sex couples face some additional challenges associated with minority stress that also impact upon relationship quality. Here, we investigate the association between minority stressors and relationship quality in a sample of 363 adults (M age = 30.37, SD = 10.78) currently in a same-sex romantic relationship. Internalized homophobia and difficulties accepting one's LGB identity were each negatively associated with relationship satisfaction via heightened concealment motivation. We also examined the protective role of identity affirmation on relationship quality, finding a direct positive relationship between the two variables. Minority stressors were negatively associated with couple relationship satisfaction via heightened concealment motivation. The finding that identity affirmation directly predicted increased couple satisfaction also highlights the important role of protective factors in same-sex couple relationships.La mayoría de las personas lesbianas, gais y bisexuales (LGB) desean una relación amorosa estable y satisfactoria. Aunque muchos de los predictores de las complicaciones en las relaciones son similares a los de las parejas heterosexuales, las parejas del mismo sexo enfrentan algunas otras dificultades asociadas con el estrés de las minorías que también repercuten en la calidad de la relación. Aquí investigamos la asociación entre los factores desencadenantes de estrés en las minorías y la calidad de la relación en una muestra de 363 adultos (edad promedio = 30.37, desviación estándar = 10.78) que están actualmente en una relación amorosa del mismo sexo. La homofobia internalizada y las dificultades para aceptar la identidad LGB propia estuvieron asociadas negativamente con la satisfacción en la relación mediante un incremento de la motivación por la ocultación. También analizamos el papel protector que desempeña la afirmación de la identidad en la calidad de la relación y encontramos una relación positiva directa entre las dos variables. Los factores desencadentantes de estrés en las minorías estuvieron asociados negativamente con la satisfacción en la relación de pareja mediante un incremento de la motivación por la ocultación. El hallazgo de que la afirmación de la identidad predijo directamente una mayor satisfacción en la pareja también destaca el papel importante que desempeñan los factores protectores de las relaciones de pareja del mismo sexo.大多数同性恋和双性恋(LGB)需要一个稳定令人满意的浪漫关系。虽然同性恋伴侣中很多关系成果预测因素和异性恋伴侣相同,同性恋伴侣面临一些和影响关系质量的少数压力相关的额外挑战。我们考察了由363位当前处于同性浪漫关系的成年人(M age = 30.37, SD = 10.78)构成的样本中少数压力源和关系质量之间的关系。内在恐同症和难以接受自己LGB身份通过增高的隐瞒动因和负面关系满意度相关。我们还考察了身份肯定对于关系质量的保护作用,并发现这两个变量之间直接正面关联。少数压力源通过增高的隐瞒动因和伴侣关系满意度负面相关。研究发现身份肯定直接预期提升的伴侣关系满意度同时强调了同性伴侣关系中保护因素的重要作用。.

Partners in an intercultural couple can be similar because of selection effects (they were attracted to each other because of their similarity), accommodation (relationship length diminishes differences), or acculturation (the migrant partner adjusts to the dominant culture). The current study explored these sources of similarity, as well as the association of relationship standards with relationship satisfaction, by comparing intercultural couples (68 Chinese-Western couples) with two groups of monocultural couples (63 Western couples and 66 Chinese couples) across 2 countries of residence (China and Australia). Regardless of country of residence, Chinese couples rated Family Responsibility standards (e.g., relations with the extended family and maintaining relational harmony) as more important than Western couples. Western couples rated Couple Bond standards (e.g., the demonstration of love and caring) as more important than Chinese. Intercultural couples endorsed standards to an intermediate extent between the Chinese and Western couples. There was considerable similarity of partners' standards within couples in all 3 groups of couples. Endorsement of Couple Bond standards and partner similarity on Family Responsibility standards were associated with relationship satisfaction across all 3 groups and both countries of residence. We conclude that cultural differences in endorsement of relationship standards show little acculturative change, at least in first-generation migrants. The substantial similarity in partners' standards in intercultural couples seems to be due primarily to selection effects. The association of standards with satisfaction is remarkably similar across countries of residence and cultural groups.

Relative to Westerners, Chinese are alleged to prefer more indirect, subtle, and implicit communication, referred to as high-context communication. We examined whether the use of indirect communication is more common, and more closely related to relationship satisfaction, in Chinese compared with Western couples. Cultural differences in communication might lead to relationship distress in intercultural couples, so we also studied intercultural couples. We coded the observed marital problem-solving of n = 36 Chinese couples, n = 32 Western couples, and n = 51 intercultural Chinese-Western couples, all of whom were living in Brisbane, Australia. There were low rates of most indirect communication behaviors in all groups of couples, with few cultural differences other than avoidance, which was notably higher in couples in which the woman was Chinese. Only a few associations of relationship satisfaction with aspects of indirect communication were moderated by culture. The common view of Chinese communication (as being indirect and implicit) was not reflected in the couple communication of Chinese couples living in Australia.

Rates of international migration are increasing, which raises the question of how migration might influence couple relationship standards and impact on the standards of migrants forming intercultural relationships. We compared relationship standards in n = 286 Chinese living in Hong Kong, China with standards in n = 401 Chinese migrants to a Western country (Australia) by administering the Chinese-Western Intercultural Couple Standards Scale (CWICSS). We also compared these two groups to n = 312 Westerners living in Australia. We first tested the structural invariance of the CWICSS across the three samples with a multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. There was marginal but acceptable fit of a model of two positively correlated latent factors: Couple Bond (with four indicators, such as demonstration of love and caring) and Family Responsibility (also with four indicators, such as extended family relations and preserving face). Within the limitations of the study, results suggest migration is associated predominantly with differences in women’s but not men’s relationship standards. Migrant Chinese women show alignment of Couple Bond standards toward Western standards, and conversely greater distance away from Western standards with stronger endorsement of Family Responsibility standards. Discussion focused on how migration and intercultural relationship experiences might differentially influence different domains of relationship standards, gender differences in migration effects on standards, and the implications for working with culturally diverse couples.

The present article examined couple service utilization in adults in same-sex relationships, as well as satisfaction with couple services, and preferences regarding content, delivery, and tailoring of services. Couples accessed services relatively infrequently and were generally dissatisfied with the usefulness of such services. Most participants (87%) endorsed the importance of couple interventions being tailored specifically for same-sex couples. Concerns such as financial constraints and time limitations were identified as barriers to accessing services, in addition to stigma-related barriers such as fear of discrimination and a lack of appropriately trained practitioners to work with same-sex couples. It is expected that the findings of the present article can inform future research and practice and help to improve the relationships of same-sex couples.

Relationship education (RE) usually is conceived of as relationship enhancement for currently satisfied couples, with a goal of helping couples sustain satisfaction. However, RE also might be useful as a brief, indicated intervention for couples with low satisfaction. The current study evaluated the effect of RE on couples with low and high relationship satisfaction. The study was a randomized controlled trial in which 182 couples were randomly assigned to: a book reading control condition (control); RELATE online assessment with feedback and relationship goal setting (RELATE); or RELATE with CoupleCARE (RCC), a flexible delivery skill-based education program. Couples were assessed on relationship satisfaction and individual mental health before and after RE, and through to 4-year follow-up. Couples with high initial satisfaction showed no effects of RE on satisfaction. RCC but not RELATE increased satisfaction in couples with low initial satisfaction, but effects dissipated between 6 and 12 months after RE. There were no effects of RE on mental health. Flexible delivery RE produces immediate effects as an indicated early intervention for couples with low relationship satisfaction, but the effects attenuate. Future research needs to seek methods to produce better maintained effects. (PsycINFO Database Record

Rates of international migration and intercultural marriage are rising. Migrants and intercultural partners may experience challenges in defining their ethnic identity relative to their own heritage culture, their partner’s heritage culture, and the majority culture of their country of residence. The current study examined Chinese and Western ethnic identification and relationship satisfaction in four cultural combinations of couples: Western–Western (Western male–Western female), Chinese–Chinese (Chinese male–Chinese female), Western male–Chinese female, and Chinese male–Western female. All couples were residing in Brisbane, Australia, a multicultural city with a majority Western culture. Intracultural couples (Western–Western and Chinese–Chinese) reported the strongest ethnic identification with their heritage culture and weakest ethnic identification with their nonheritage culture, whereas intercultural couples (Western male–Chinese female and Chinese male–Western female) demonstrated intermediate identification. Greater similarity between partners on ethnic identification with the majority Western culture of Australia predicted greater relationship satisfaction, but there was no association of relationship satisfaction with partner similarity on Chinese ethnic identification. We discuss patterns of ethnic identification in terms of acculturation of immigrants, the selection of partners who are similar in ethnic identification, and accommodation of individuals’ ethnic identification toward their partner’s ethnic identification. (APA PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

An important limitation to the effectiveness of family mediation in assisting separated parents is parents failing to engage in the mediation process. In 524 parents who presented to a telephone-based mediation service, 113 (22%) initiating parents withdrew from mediation before the other parent was invited to participate, 241 (46%) initiating parents had respondent parents who declined to participate in mediation, and 170 cases (33%) completed mediation. We tested whether socio-demographic variables, psychological distress, coparental acrimony, parenting problems, or children's behavioral difficulties predicted mediation engagement. High interparental acrimony predicted failure to engage in mediation, but none of the other variables predicted mediation engagement. We followed a sample of 131 families that did not mediate and found they showed elevated psychological distress, acrimony, parenting problems and child adjustment difficulties, which remained unchanged 6 months later. Further research is needed to explore strategies to enhance respondent parent engagement with mediation, and to address the negative outcomes for those separated families not proceeding with mediation.

Military life can place excess strain on couple relationships. The Couple CARE relationship education program was tailored to address the challenges of military couples. Thirty-two Australian military couples participated in a pilot feasibility study assessing the Couple CARE in Uniform adaptation against an active control. Relationship satisfaction and communication improved in both conditions, with no significant difference between the conditions. Couples' high relationship satisfaction on presentation, paired with modest statistical power, might have contributed to the null results. However, Couple CARE in Uniform had significantly higher consumer satisfaction than the comparison condition, suggesting it is a program worthy of further evaluation.

This chapter reviews the emerging field of couple interventions for same-sex couples. It outlines the evidence base for couple relationship education and couple therapy based on research with heterosexual couples. It reviews data pertaining to relationship stability and relationship satisfaction of same-sex couples and also the similarities and differences in the predictors of relationship outcomes between heterosexual and same-sex couples. The differences suggest modifications are required, including addressing the role of external influences on couple functioning, the role of dyadic coping to buffer effects of minority stress, non-monogamous relationships, and managing disclosure of one’s relationship. Currently, there is modest uptake of couple services among same-sex couples, and this chapter offers suggestions to enhance the relevance and inclusivity of couple interventions. It concludes by proposing a number of future research directions, including examining the efficacy of couple interventions for same-sex couples and evaluating innovations to increase same-sex couples’ access to services.

Military couples have a number of distinctive strengths and challenges that are likely to influence their relationship adjustment. Military couples' strengths include stable employment, financial security, and subsidized health and counseling services. At the same time, military couples often experience long periods of separation and associated difficulties with emotional disconnect, trauma symptoms, and reintegrating the family. This paper describes best practice recommendations for working with military couples, including: addressing the distinctive challenges of the military lifestyle, ensuring program delivery is seen as relevant by military couples, and providing relationship education in formats that enhance the accessibility of programs.

We developed the Chinese-Western Intercultural Couple Standards Scale (CWICSS) to assess relationship standards that may differ between Chinese and Western partners and may challenge intercultural couples. The scale assesses 4 Western-derived relationship standards (demonstrations of love, demonstrations of caring, intimacy expression, and intimacy responsiveness) and 4 Chinese-derived relationship standards (relations with the extended family, relational harmony, face, and gender roles). We administered the CWICSS to 983 Chinese and Western participants living in Australia to assess the psychometric properties of the scores as measures of respondents' relationship standards. The CWICSS has a 2-level factor structure with the items reflecting the 8 predicted standards. The 4 Western derived standards loaded onto a higher order factor of couple bond, and the 4 Chinese derived standards loaded onto a higher order factor of family responsibility. The scale scores were structurally equivalent across cultures, genders, and 2 independent samples, and good convergent and discriminant validity was found for the interpretation of scale scores as respondents' endorsement of the predicted standards. Scores on the 8 scales and 2 superordinate scales showed high internal consistency and test-retest coefficients. Chinese endorsed all 4 family responsibility standards more strongly than did Westerners, but Chinese and Western participants were similar in endorsement of couple bond standards. Across both cultures, couple bond standards were endorsed more highly than were family responsibility standards. The CWICSS assesses potential areas of conflict in Chinese-Western relationships.

Couple relationship education (RE) usually is conceived of as relationship enhancement for currently satisfied couples, with a goal of helping couples sustain satisfaction. However, RE also might be useful as a brief, accessible intervention for couples with low satisfaction. Two studies were conducted that tested whether couples with low relationship satisfaction show meaningful gains after RE. Study 1 was a three-condition randomized controlled trial in which 182 couples were randomly assigned to RELATE with Couple CARE (RCC), a flexible delivery education program for couples, or one of two control conditions. Couples with initially low satisfaction receiving RCC showed a moderate increase in relationship satisfaction (d = 0.50) relative to the control. In contrast, couples initially high in satisfaction showed little change and there was no difference between RCC and the control conditions. Study 2 was an uncontrolled trial of the Couple Coping Enhancement Training (CCET) administered to 119 couples. Couples receiving CCET that had initially low satisfaction showed a moderate increase in satisfaction (g = .44), whereas initially highly satisfied couples showed no change. Brief relationship education can assist somewhat distressed couples to enhance satisfaction, and has potential as a cost-effective way of enhancing the reach of couple interventions.

Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of couple therapy find large improvements in couple adjustment, but published evaluations of the effectiveness of couple therapy in routine practice find only small-to-moderate effects. The current study analyzes possible explanations for the research-efficacy to practice-effectiveness gap and offers suggestions for enhancing couple therapy effectiveness. Major recommendations are that therapists should clarify whether couples' therapy goal is to clarify commitment to the relationship or to improve the relationship; use standardized assessment of the individual partners and the relationship; and use systematic monitoring of therapy progress and the therapeutic alliance. It is also possible that the greater use of evidence-based therapies when treating couple relationship distress could enhance couple therapy outcome.

Objective: The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer is followed by substantive sexual morbidity. The optimal approach for intervening remains unclear. Methods/design A three-arm randomised control trial was undertaken with 189 heterosexual couples where the man had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and treated surgically. The efficacy of peer-delivered telephone support versus nurse-delivered telephone counselling versus usual care in improving both men's and women's sexual adjustment was investigated. Assessments were undertaken at baseline (pre-test) with follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 months. Results At 12 months, men in the peer (p=0.016) and nurse intervention (p=0.008) were more likely to use medical treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED) than men in the usual care arm. Men in the nurse intervention more frequently used oral medication for ED than men in usual care (p=0.002). No significant effects were found for sexual function, sexuality needs, sexual self-confidence, masculine self-esteem, marital satisfaction or intimacy. Conclusion Although peer and nurse couples-based interventions can increase use of medical treatments for ED, this may not translate into better sexual or relationship outcomes. More research is needed into the optimal timing of interventions to improve sexual outcomes for men with prostate cancer and to identify the subpopulations that will benefit from them.

Satisfied couples report that positive, intimate communication is central to their relationship. We developed the positive reminiscence task, in which couples discuss positive relationship moments to assess communication of positive intimacy. The behavior and heart rate of 28 satisfied and 25 distressed couples were assessed during positive reminiscence and problem solving. As predicted, satisfied couples demonstrated higher rates of positive affect and dyadic intimacy than distressed couples during positive reminiscence, and these positive behaviors occurred at much lower rates during problem solving than positive reminiscence. However, the differences between distressed and satisfied couples were more marked on most assessed behaviors during problem solving rather than positive reminiscence. Two notable exceptions were that dyadic intimacy and sadness differed more between distressed and satisfied couples during positive reminiscence than problem solving. The positive reminiscence task assesses intimate behaviors in a manner likely to be useful in research and practice.

Assessment and feedback of relationship strengths and challenges is a widely used brief approach to couple relationship education (CRE). It can be fully automated through the internet, with couples self-interpreting the feedback. This study assessed whether therapist guidance of couples to interpret the report and develop relationship goals enhanced the benefits of the feedback. Thirty-nine couples seeking CRE were randomly assigned to either self-interpretation of an internet-based relationship assessment report (RELATE), or therapist-guided interpretation of the same report (RELATE+). Participants were assessed on relationship satisfaction and psychological distress pre- and post-CRE, and at 6-month follow-up. RELATE and RELATE+ were not reliably different in outcome. Couples in both conditions sustained high relationship satisfaction and showed an overall decline in psychological distress. However, consumer satisfaction was substantially higher for the RELATE+ condition than the RELATE condition.

Individual differences in attachment are well established as a correlate of couple relationship satisfaction. However, less is known about the role of attachment in predicting satisfaction at specific milestone points in couple relationships. The present study explored the role of attachment in predicting relationship satisfaction during couples' first pregnancy, and the mediating role of relationship enhancing behaviors. Male and female attachment anxiety and avoidance predicted their own low relationship satisfaction, and this was partially mediated by relationship enhancing behaviors. Male attachment anxiety and avoidance predicted low female satisfaction, and this was fully mediated by relationship enhancing behaviors. This study is the first to highlight the important role of male attachment during pregnancy, and the mediating role of relationship enhancing behaviors.

Research output and impact are important indices of the health of individual fields of science. The present study analyzed publications and citations in psychology recorded in Web of Science for the years 1996 to 2010 for 73 countries, and the association of output with indices of national development. Authors with affiliations to institutions in the United States or Western Europe were the major contributors over the period, with output and impact being highly correlated. Authors from the United States showed the single largest contribution to publications and citations, but their output, in terms of percentage share of world output, has decreased over the period. A nation's gross domestic income per head of population was related to output. The level of development of a country, its ratings on economic and political freedom, and its score on individualism–collectivism were also related to output, but when income per capita was held constant, the correlations with these other variables became statistically nonsignificant. Ways in which psychological research can be promoted beyond Europe and North America are briefly considered.

Several approaches to couple therapy produce large and clinically significant reductions in relationship distress. However, 25 to 30 per cent of couples show no benefit from couple therapy. Adapted forms of couple therapy can effectively treat some psychological disorders and enhance adjustment to physical health problems. The specific mechanisms underlying the effects of couple therapy on relationship distress are unclear. Current attempts to enhance the efficacy of couple therapy have three foci: (1) identifying the common factors that might account for change across approaches, (2) integrating different approaches to address specific needs of particular partners and couples and (3) monitoring the progress of couples during therapy and using that information to modify couple therapy as required. Given the high prevalence of relationship distress and its association with other problems, clinicians should routinely screen for relationship distress in adults. Couple therapy needs to be considered as the focus, or part of the focus, of treatment for a wide range of adult emotional and behavioural problems.

Systematic monitoring of individual therapy progress, coupled with feedback to the therapist, reliably enhances therapy outcome by alerting therapists to individual clients who are off track to benefit by the end of therapy. The current paper reviews the possibility of using similar systematic monitoring and feedback of therapy progress as a means to enhance couple therapy outcome, including what measures of therapy progress are most likely to be useful, how to structure feedback to be most useful to therapists, and the likely mediators of the effects of therapy progress feedback. One implicit assumption of therapy progress feedback is that clients unlikely to benefit from therapy can be detected early enough in the course of therapy for corrective action to be taken. As a test of this assumption, midtherapy progress was examined as a predictor of final couple therapy outcome in a sample of 134 distressed couples. Either a brief 7- or 32-item assessment of couple therapy progress at midtherapy detected a substantial proportion (46%) of couples who failed to benefit by the end of therapy. Given that failure to benefit from couple therapy is somewhat predictable across the course of therapy, future research should test whether systematic monitoring and feedback of progress could enhance therapy outcome.

Background The present study assessed the feasibility of delivering peer support for couples coping with prostate cancer within a trial design. Methods/Design Ten peer volunteers completed training in research protocols and delivering tele-based couples support to men with prostate cancer and their partners. Twenty couples received an eight session intervention and were assessed before surgery and 3 and 6 months subsequently for adjustment outcomes. A focus group investigated the peers' experiences. Results Peers were motivated by altruism, a belief in research, and reported personal growth. The research protocol at times conflicted with lay models of helping, and the focus on sexuality and couples was challenging. Distress decreased over time but more so for partners; unmet sexuality needs did not improve. Conclusion Peer support appears promising as a model to support couples facing prostate cancer.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent and common problem yet is rarely screened for, or addressed in, couple relationship education (CRE). The current study examined the prevalence of IPV in 250 couples expecting their first child who were recruited into a study of CRE across the transition to parenthood. The couples were generally highly satisfied with their relationship, yet 32% reported at least one incident of IPV in the past 12 months, and 7% reported that at least one spouse had been injured by IPV. The majority of violence was of low severity (pushing, slapping, or shoving), and the most common pattern was of reciprocal aggression between the partners. Given that even low-severity IPV is associated with significant risk of inury and predicts risk of relationship separation, these high rates of IPV are concerning. CRE providers for expectant couples need to attend to prevention of IPV within their programs.

The transition to parenthood is a substantial challenge for many couples, and the extent to which the partners can support each other and their relationship is strongly related to the sensitivity and responsiveness of their parenting of their infant. This paper critically analyses the links between the couple relationship and parenting of infants and reviews the research evaluating couple psychoeducation (CP) to assist couples' parenting of their infant. It is concluded that CP has considerable potential to enhance couples' adaptation to parenthood and enhance the sensitivity and responsiveness of parenting of new infants.

The transition to parenthood is often associated with a decline in couple relationship adjustment. Couples (n = 71) expecting their first child were randomly assigned to either: (a) Becoming a Parent (BAP), a maternal parenting education program; or (b) Couple CARE for Parents (CCP), a couple relationship and parenting education program. Couples were assessed pre-intervention (last trimester of pregnancy), post-intervention (5 months postpartum), and follow-up (12 months postpartum). Relative to BAP, CCP reduced negative couple communication from pre- to post-intervention, and prevented erosion of relationship adjustment and self-regulation in women but not men from pre-intervention to follow-up. Mean parenting stress reflected positive adjustment to parenthood with no differences between BAP and CCP. CCP shows promise as a brief program that can enhance couple communication and women's adjustment to parenthood.

The aim of the current study was to test predictors of sustained relationship satisfaction after couple relationship education (CRE). Sixty-six couples, who were stratified into high- and low-risk for future relationship problems groups, completed the Couple CARE program and were assessed on relationship self-regulation and negative couple communication after CRE. Relationship satisfaction was assessed across the next 4 years. Multilevel modeling of the trajectory of satisfaction showed there was a mean decline in satisfaction through the 4-year follow-up and that sustained high relationship satisfaction after CRE was predicted by high relationship self-regulation and low male negative communication but not by risk level or negative female communication.

Research in the United States shows that relationship violence occurs in a substantial minority of newlywed couples, and is associated with a range of risk factors such as family-of-origin violence. Few of the associated risk factors, however, are potentially modifiable through early intervention to prevent violence. In the current study self-reported aggression and violence were assessed in 379 Australian newlywed couples. Consistent with US-based research, >20% of newlywed Australian couples reported at least one incident of relationship violence in the past year. A range of correlates of relationship violence and aggression was assessed, including the construct of relationship self-regulation, which is the extent that partners report being able to enhance their relationship with their partner. Low relationship self-regulation was correlated with relationship aggression and violence. It was concluded that the aggression and violence are common problems in Australian newlywed couples, and that enhancing relationship self-regulation might help reduce the prevalence of aggression.

The thesis advanced in this essay is that couple relationship interventions are central to effective therapy with many adult clients. I begin by reviewing a body of evidence that demonstrates the significance of couple relationships in the lives of most adults. A range of circumstances are described in which effective therapy with adults needs to address the couple relationship, even when the couple relationship is not mentioned as a presenting issue. It is concluded that individual psychological adjustment often is best understood when conceptualised within the intimate interpersonal context of the couple relationship.

This study evaluated (i) frequencies of aggression in maritally distressed problem drinking (DP) women relative to controls, (ii) aggression, marital satisfaction, and partner drinking in predicting female drinking, and (iii) discrepant within-couple drinking in predicting marital distress. The sample included 27 DP women, 24 maritally distressed nonproblem drinking women (DNP women), and 24 women with neither problem (NDNP women). DP women reported frequencies of physical aggression similar to DNP women, but less male verbal aggression than DNP women. Predictors of female drinking were marital satisfaction and male drinking, but aggression did not predict female drinking. Female marital satisfaction was predicted by interspousal discrepancies in drinking after accounting for verbal aggression.

We assessed the effects of the Controlling Alcohol and Relationship Enhancement (CARE) program, an early intervention combining reduction of hazardous alcohol consumption and enhancement of couple relationships. Thirty-seven hazardous drinking couples were randomly allocated to either the CARE program or to a control condition. CARE couples improved their communication more than controls, but couples in both conditions reduced hazardous drinking to a similar extent. CARE is a potentially useful means of promoting positive relationship communication in hazardous drinking couples.

Cancer diagnosis affects the psychological well-being of both patients and their partners, and effective coping has been suggested to be a conjoint process of mutual support. Ninety-four married women with early stage cancer and their partners were randomly assigned to couples-based coping training (CanCOPE), individual coping training for the woman, or a medical education control. Couples' observed support communication and self-reported psychological distress, coping effort, and sexual adjustment were assessed at diagnosis, after cancer surgery, and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. CanCOPE produced significant improvements in couples' supportive communication, reduced psychological distress and coping effort, and improved sexual adjustment. Training in couples rather than individual coping was more effective in facilitating adaptation to cancer.

The current study evaluated Couple CARE, a flexible delivery relationship education program. Fifty-nine couples were randomly assigned to either Couple CARE or a control condition and assessed on relationship self-regulation, satisfaction and stability, and communication. Retention, engagement, and satisfaction with the program were all high. As predicted, Couple CARE increased relationship satisfaction and stability and increased report of relationship self-regulation, but did not have the predicted effect on communication.

Relationship education is widely available to couples and is intended to reduce the prevalence of relationship distress, divorce, and the associated personal and social costs. To realize the potential benefits of couple relationship education, it needs to be evidence-based, offered in ways that attract couples at high-risk for relationship problems, and focused on factors that put couples at high-risk for future relationship problems.

The authors examined the clinical effectiveness of a comprehensive cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) program offered to patients with depression or anxiety disorders. They also tested the prediction, based on Young’s schema-focused approach to therapy, that endorsement of maladaptive cognitive schemata predicts poor response to standard CBT. One hundred thirtyfour consecutive referrals were assessed on a battery of self-report measures at the commencement of the program, and 121 of these patients (90%) completed the program and provided posttreatment data. Two thirds of the patients showed statistically reliable symptom reduction, and half had large effect size (0.8 standard deviations or more) symptom reduction. Contrary to predictions, greater initial endorsement of schemata did not predict poor therapy response. The CBT program was effective for most patients, including patients with high endorsement of maladaptive schemata.

Based on a cognitive–social learning model of alcohol use, it was hypothesised that women with both alcohol and relationship problems would endorse more positive expectations of the effects of alcohol consumption on their relationship and would report lower relational efficacy than women without relationship or alcohol problems. Measures of relationship-referent alcohol expectancies and relational efficacy were completed by 174 married women with both alcohol and relationship problems (n=20), alcohol problems alone (n=26), relationship problems alone (n=30), or neither problem (n=98). Women without either alcohol or relationship problems strongly rejected expectations of enhanced relationship functioning (e.g., enhanced intimacy, increased emotional expression) following alcohol consumption, whereas women with both alcohol and relationship problems were ambivalent about these positive expectations. Women with both problems also reported lower relational efficacy than the other groups of women. Negative expectations about the effect of alcohol consumption on relationships in women with low relational efficacy may inhibit harmful drinking.

We predicted that low relationship satisfaction is associated with negative hindsight biases in memory of relationship interaction. Sixty couples individually kept a diary of their relationship on a daily basis for 1 week. At the end of the week they described that week, and their comments were recorded and coded. Hindsight bias was operationalized as the rate of positive and negative comments about the relationship after controlling for partners' immediate perceptions of the relationship, as recorded in their diary. As predicted, low relationship satisfaction was associated with negative hindsight memory bias. Future research needs to clarify the source and nature of this hindsight bias, and therapists may need to promote more recall of positive relationship memories in distressed couples.