A marriage skills intervention to improve the marital competencies of couples in multicultural resource-limited communities in South Africa

Abstract

Despite the importance of healthy marriages in family and community health, couples in South Africa receive limited preparation and training to equip them for married life. Research shows that participation in couple relationship education can help couples to strengthen their relationship skills, enhance relationship quality, and increase marital satisfaction. This research aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a group-based marriage skills intervention in a multicultural context that is accessible to couples in resource-limited communities to improve couples’ marital competencies and satisfaction. An action research approach was used, starting with a situation analysis, using mixed-methods. An 18-hour intervention, based on the marital systems theory and the needs of couples in this community, was presented to 14 couples (divided into small groups of four to five couples) whose cultural backgrounds were diverse. A mixed-methods evaluation showed significant improvement in couples’ communication and conflict management, awareness and empathy for each other’s emotions, and they developed more closeness and commitment. The intervention showed promise to improve relationships in a low-resourced multicultural context. Such marital interventions can contribute to the mental health of families and the community.