Marriage Preparation

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Marriage Preparation
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Level of Analysis
Community
Family
Couple
Individual
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Evidence for Targeting the Couple Dyad
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Lubbock, TX Needs Analysis
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Disorders in adults related to marital distress

• Marital Battering/Domestic Violence
• Psychopathology
• Suicide

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Physical disorders related to marital distress
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Disorders in adults related to marital distress

• Depression
• Work Productivity
• Eating Disorders
• Substance Abuse
• Criminal Activity

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Disorders in children related to marital distress

• Conduct Disorders
• Poor Academic Performance
• Low Self-Esteem
• Youth Crimes
• Suicide

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Types of Prevention

• Primary
• Secondary
• Tertiary

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Evidence for Premarital Programs

• Programs
• improve global relationship
• improve commitment to the relationship
• cut the divorce rate by half
• increase acceptance of partner

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Evidence for Premarital Programs

• Decrease
• disagreements
• negative emotions
• Meta-analysis

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If you were a lawmaker...
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Whats out there?
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Current Legislation

• Louisiana law
• Alaska Bills
• Florida Bill
• Community Marriage Policy
• Michigan (Impact)

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Covenant Marriage

• 1) premarital Counseling
• 2) Take all reasonable efforts to preserve the
  marriage
• 3) Limits grounds of divorce

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Programs

• Connections
• The Art of Loving Well
• Partners

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Compatibility Tests

• Relate
• Prepare/Enrich
• Foccus

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International - Canada

• These marriage educators provide
• information
• premarital programs
• marriage enrichment programs
• seminars
• presentations on various aspects of marriage.

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Australia
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United Kingdom
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Solutions and Suggestions

• Money and emphasis will need to be placed in a
  more balanced way between primary, secondary, and
  tertiary prevention programs.

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Solutions and Suggestions

• More marriage preparation information, programs,
  and seminars must be available.
• Such information should be more widely publicized.

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Solutions and Suggestions

• Instill the idea that marital preparation classes
  are important.
• Secondary prevention efforts should be put in
  place for couples already formed who are not
  currently in distress.

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Church

• 20-30 offer programs