@article{ref1,
title="Effectiveness of the 'Hold Me Tight' relationship enhancement program in a self-referred and a clinician-referred sample: an emotionally focused couples therapy-based approach",
journal="Family Process",
year="2018",
author="Conradi, Henk-Jan and Dingemanse, Pieter and Noordhof, Arjen and Finkenauer, Catrin and Kamphuis, Jan H.",
volume="57",
number="3",
pages="613-628",
abstract="While evidence-based couple therapies are available, only a minority of troubled couples seek help and they often do this too late. To reach more couples earlier, the couple relationship education (CRE) group program &quot;Hold me Tight&quot; (HmT) based on Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) was developed. This study is the first to examine the effectiveness of HmT. Using a three-wave (waiting period, treatment, and follow-up) within-subject design, HmT was delivered to 79 self-referred couples and 50 clinician-referred couples. We applied a comprehensive outcome measure battery. Our main findings were that (1) self-referred couples significantly improved during HmT on all measures, that is relationship satisfaction, security of partner-bond, forgiveness, daily coordination, maintenance behavior, and psychological complaints, with a moderate-to-large mean effect size (d = .63), which was maintained (d = .57) during the 3.5 month follow-up; (2) in clinician-referred couples, who were vulnerable in terms of insecure attachment status and psychopathology, the improvement during HmT was moderate (d = .42), but this was reduced during the 3.5-month follow-up to a small effect (d = .22); (3) emotional functioning (typical HmT target) as well as behavioral functioning (typical Behavioral Couples Therapy-based CRE target) improved during HmT; and (4) individual psychological complaints, although not specifically targeted, were reduced during HmT. These findings suggest that HmT is a promising intervention for enhancement of relationship functioning. Clinical implications are discussed.<br><br>© 2017 Family Process Institute.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0014-7370",
doi="10.1111/famp.12305",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/famp.12305"
}