SUCCES: satisfying unions through couples communication and enhancement skills: a secondary prevention and enhancement program for married couples

Abstract

Marriage prevention and enhancement programs are vital to the future of society due to their expanded ability to reach many couples that might not otherwise seek help in building the tools necessary for a successful relationship. Because marital distress has been related to many negative long-term health and emotional consequences, preventing these damaging outcomes is a rising priority for psychologists and the health care field. In this study, 55 couples started a secondary marital enhancement and prevention program called SUCCES. The SUCCES program merges multiple interventions from distinct empirically supported couples treatments within a conceptually pluralistic framework. Cognitive behavioral skills development as well as insight and emotion-focused couples therapy techniques are interwoven with each other in the program.

Thirty-two couples completed the 9-week intervention and the six-month follow-up assessment period. Although there was no control group, repeated-measures MANOVAs yielded positive results when assessing increases in interpersonal functioning. Couples who participated in the program reported higher levels of satisfaction in broad and specific areas of their relationship upon completion. In addition, couples reported fewer relationship problem areas and an increased quality of life. Almost all increases remained significant at six-month follow-up. These positive initial findings suggest the potential efficacy of the SUCCES program and the importance of future controlled outcome studies to validate its clinical utility.