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Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Aug:167:104337.
doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104337. Epub 2023 May 19.

Effects of online relationship programs for low-income couples during the perinatal period

Erica A Mitchell  1 , Yunying Le  2 , S Gabe Hatch  3 , Shayna Guttman  3 , Brian D Doss  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effects of online relationship programs for low-income couples during the perinatal period

Erica A Mitchell et al. Behav Res Ther. 2023 Aug.

Abstract

Low-income couples experience increased stress and declines in relationship quality during the perinatal period. They also encounter many barriers to accessing relationship services. Using a subsample of low-income perinatal couples (n = 180) from two randomized controlled trials, the current study examined the impact of online relationship interventions, OurRelationship (OR) and ePREP, in a Bayesian framework. From pre to post, relative to waitlist control couples, couples in OR and ePREP experienced improvements in relationship quality (Mean d = 0.51) and psychological distress (Mean d = 0.28); OR couples, relative to waitlist control couples, also experienced improvements in perceived stress (Mean d = 0.33). These improvements were maintained through four-month follow-up and did not differ across gender. These findings suggest brief online relationship interventions may be an important resource for low-income perinatal couples.

Keywords: Couples; Online intervention; Perinatal period; Relationship education; Romantic relationships.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest Dr. Brian Doss is a co-inventor of the intellectual property used in this study and an equity owner in OurRelationship LCC. Funding for this project was approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant 90FM0063 awarded to Brian D. Doss and Grant 90PD0309 awarded to S. Gabe Hatch. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

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