What Are Couples Saying About Relationship Education? A Content Analysis

Concerns regarding the impact of relationship distress and divorce have prompted various federal, state, and local initiatives to offer couple relationship education (CRE) programs to help couples build and maintain healthy relationships. Recent reports have shown CRE to have several positive effects. Still, challenges pertaining to recruitment and retention have limited the reach and potential impact of CRE services. Also, in comparison to other family programs such as parent education, little is known about public perceptions of CRE. To better understand perceptions of CRE services and gain ideas for recruitment strategy, this study applied content analysis methodology to 99 couple discussions on the pros and cons of attending relationship education. Ideas for CRE programmers are discussed in light of study findings.