Acceptance and Change in Marital Therapy (RMI)

University Of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this research is to examine the long-term outcome of two treatments for marital discord: Traditional Behavioral Couple Therapy (TBCT) and Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT). The emphasis in TBCT is on making positive changes in the relationship by teaching couples better communication and problem solving strategies and by having spouses identify and increase positive behavior toward each other. In contrast, IBCT emphasizes emotional understanding and acceptance of the other. IBCT includes strategies from TBCT but focuses less on deliberate, structured change and more on changes that emerge from greater empathy and understanding between partners. Currently, a clinical trial comparing the two treatments at termination and over two years of follow-up is being completed. However, existing research suggests a high level of separation (38%) in TBCT four years after treatment. Therefore, a primary aim of the current application is to follow couples for two additional years and compare outcomes four years after treatment termination. Our study will focus not just on marital outcomes, such as relationship stability and satisfaction, but will also focus on individual outcomes, such as psychological symptoms in spouses and adjustment in their children. Other aims of the project are to examine observed interactions between spouses during follow-up, to examine therapy process (videotaped observations of therapy sessions) across the two treatments and relate this observed process to outcome, to examine the impact of marital therapy on depression (and the impact of depression treatment on marital satisfaction), and to examine the mediators of marital treatment. Couple therapy is an effective treatment for marital problems, which in turn may improve the mental and physical health of spouses and any children they have. The currently proposed study will add substantially to our knowledge of couple therapy by providing data on its long-term outcome, process, and mechanism of change.