Relationship education and marital satisfaction in newlywed couples: A propensity score analysis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether premarital relationship education and characteristics of relationship education in a community sample of newlywed couples predicted marital trajectories over 27 months. Newlywed couples (N = 191) completed measures of marital satisfaction 9 times over 27 months, and prior to marriage they provided information about relationship education and demographic, personal, and relationship risk factors for marital distress. Propensity scores (i.e., the probability of receiving relationship education) were estimated using the marital distress risk factors, and used to derive a matched sample of 72 couples who participated in relationship education and 86 couples who did not. Multilevel analyses of the propensity score matched sample (n = 158) indicated that wives who participated in relationship education had declines in marital satisfaction while wives who did not receive relationship education maintained satisfaction over time. Furthermore, the more hours of relationship education the couple participated in, the less steeply their marital satisfaction declined. Findings indicate that participation in community-based relationship education may not prevent declines in marital satisfaction for newlywed couples. A possible explanation is that the quality of relationship education available to couples is generally poor and could be greatly improved by inclusion of empirically based relationship information and skills training that are known to lead to stronger marriages

How husbands can support their wives in achieving weight management goals: the development of a self-help resource

The nationwide prevalence of obesity calls for more effective strategies for weight loss and maintenance of desired weight. The majority of weight loss programs focus on behavior change (diet and exercise) with some success, although lost weight is often regained. Interventions that boost the long-term effects of weight loss achievements are greatly needed. Marriage provides an ideal context for the lifestyle changes required for effective weight maintenance. Although well-intentioned, spouses may not know how to support their partner\u27s weight loss efforts. Because women are more likely than men to attend to their spouses\u27 health needs and women struggle more than men to maintain a healthy weight, there is a need for a resource to help husbands support their wives in achieving weight management goals. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a resource to provide husbands with guidelines for supporting their wives\u27 weight loss and weight maintenance goals. The dissertation reviews relevant studies on successful weight loss, weight loss maintenance, social support for weight loss, marriage and health, spouse-involved weight loss interventions, gender and communication, and relevant marriage and family systems literature, as well as popular sources such as self-help books, Internet websites, newspapers, and magazines. The material was evaluated and synthesized to create the resource booklet My Wife Wants to Lose Weight: How Can I Help? The booklet contains information about weight gain, weight loss, and spousal support along with prescribed activities, sample scripts, and assessment tools, forming an easy-to-use guide for husbands that may make the difference in their wives\u27 success in losing and maintaining weight loss. Formal evaluation of the resource booklet is needed, including a study to determine its effectiveness in improving weight loss and long-term maintenance of weight loss for wives whose husbands use the resource

Real Collaboration: A Guide for Grantmakers

Looks at the role of the grantmaker in the promotion and support of inter-organizational collaboration. Makes recommendations on how foundation program officers can promote a more effective use of collaboration among grantees

The Influence of Level of Training and Gender on Counseling Outcome in a University Counseling Center

This study examined the effects of counselor level of training and gender on counseling outcome in a university counseling center environment. Data was collected from an archival database of approximately 4500 clients seen over a six-and-a-half year time period at a mid-sized Southeastern university counseling center. The Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 was used to measure client outcome, which consists of 45-items scored on a five-point Likert scale. The OQ produces three subscale scores (Symptom Distress, Interpersonal Relations, and Social Role) and a Total Score. The Social Role subscale was found to have low reliability in this study, and was omitted from further consideration. Data on client and counselor gender were also included in this study. Two analyses were performed on the archival data. In the first analysis, 338 clients who completed an OQ at intake and after their fourth session were assigned to groups based on the training level of their assigned counselor (Senior Staff, Pre-Doctoral Intern, and Master’s Extern). A series of repeated-measures and one-way ANOVAs were conducted. Total Scores and subscales decreased significantly for clients in all three groups between sessions. There were no significant differences on OQ scores between the groups at intake. However, Master’s level clients showed a significantly greater decrease than Senior Staff or Pre-Doctoral clients on the Interpersonal Relations subscale at fourth session. A significant difference was also found for client gender on the IR subscale at both intake and fourth session, with males scoring higher than females. There were no client/counselor gender matching effects observed. In the second analysis, 2772 clients were assigned to groups based on whether or not they returned to counseling after their intake session (Returnees and Non-Returnees). A one-way MANOVA showed a small, but significant difference between the groups at intake, with Returnees showing slightly higher OQ scores than Non-Returnees. Follow-up ANOVAs showed this was due to a significant difference on the IR subscale. Implications for counseling center outcome assessment and treatment and directions for future research were discussed

Social support communication behavior, depression symptomatology, and marital satisfaction among distressed couples

The relationships between individual depression symptomatology, marital satisfaction, and social support communication behaviors were examined. Social support communication behaviors of partners as a moderator of the relationship between their own individual depression symptomatology and marital satisfaction was also examined. This study included 96 chronically and seriously distressed heterosexual married couples seeking couple therapy. This study found no relationship between marital satisfaction and depressive symptomatology and no relationship between depression symptomatology and positive and negative social support (p \u3e .05). A significant interaction between gender and marital satisfaction in predictive depressive symptomatology was found (p \u3c .05). Negative social support was significantly negatively related to marital satisfaction (p \u3c .01). Positive social support was significantly positively related to marital satisfaction (p \u3c .001). Social support did not moderate the relationship between depression symptoms and marital satisfaction (p \u3e .05)

The treatment of drug abuse in Cape Town

Bibliography: leaves 174-213.Three questions concerning drug use and its treatment in Cape Town are posed in an attempt to guide planning of the treatment system. Firstly, is drug use in Cape Town of a problematic nature and magnitude? An affirmative conclusion is reached here by analysis of relevant local studies but is rendered tentative by inadequacies of the data. Secondly, are the relevant professional medical-psychological treatment facilities able to meet the treatment needs of all drug abusers in Cape Town? Analysis of the treatment system by means of a questionnaire produced a negative conclusion which was necessarily tentative. Thirdly, what directions should future expansion or modification take in order that cost-effectiveness be maximised? Three areas, were investigated by review of the literature - should psychotherapy be included in drug abuse treatment? Can drug abusers be effectively treated alongside other psychiatric patients? Can drug abusers be effectively treated as outpatients? Affirmative conclusions were reached in each case. Suggestions are made for accurate matching of patients to in- or outpatient treatment situations

Revisiting Factors Associated with the Success of Ballot Initiatives with a Substantial Rail Transit Component, Research Report 10-13

This report presents the replication of an MTI study conducted in 2001 by Peter Haas and Richard Werbel. That research, itself a continuation of an earlier project completed in 2000, included an analysis of transportation tax elections in 11 urban areas across the nation and culminated in the identification of 17 community-level factors with potential impact on the success of ballot measures for sales tax increases to fund transportation packages with substantial rail components. Trends observed in these more recent case studies were generally highly consistent with the following findings from the 2001 study. Thus this analysis reaffirms the importance for community consensus amongst the business, elected and environmental communities, and accompanying depth of financial support. Once again, the difficulty of passing an initiative without well-funded, effective use of multimedia was validated, as was the importance of utilizing experienced campaign consultants. Some factors seemed less important in the current study than in 2001, including the effectiveness of presenting a multimodal package, the perception of benefits of a package being distributed throughout the voting district, the experience gained in recent transit elections, and the credibility of the transit agency. Finally, this compilation includes an exploration of “rebound” elections – those instances in which a failed measure is quickly followed by a successful one – and the factors that seem linked to achieving success in such instances