Comparison of the Effectiveness of Couple CARE-Based Premarital Counseling and the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) on Perfectionism and Communication Skills in Individuals Preparing for Marriage
Keywords:
CARE Program, Couple CARE, PREP Program, Perfectionism, Communication SkillsAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Couple CARE-based premarital counseling and the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) on perfectionism and communication skills among individuals preparing for marriage.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of individuals seeking premarital counseling services at counseling centers in District 6 of Tehran during the first six months of 2024. Following multistage cluster sampling and screening procedures, 45 eligible participants were selected and randomly assigned to three groups: Couple CARE intervention (n = 15), PREP intervention (n = 15), and control (n = 15). The intervention groups participated in six 90-minute sessions conducted twice weekly, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Hill Perfectionism Inventory and the Communication Skills Questionnaire. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests were performed using SPSS-26.
Findings: The results revealed significant effects of group, time, and group × time interaction for all dimensions of perfectionism and communication skills (p < .01). Both Couple CARE and PREP significantly reduced perfectionism and improved communication skills compared with the control group. For perfectionism, the largest effect size was observed for negative perfectionism (η² = .642), whereas the smallest effect size was found for positive perfectionism (η² = .398). For communication skills, the largest effect size was associated with the total communication skills score (η² = .735). Comparisons between the intervention groups indicated that PREP produced significantly greater improvements than Couple CARE across most outcome variables, particularly in reducing negative perfectionism and enhancing message-sending and message-receiving abilities. Follow-up analyses further demonstrated that PREP maintained its effects across all dimensions, whereas Couple CARE showed partial attenuation of gains in several communication and perfectionism components.
Conclusion: Both Couple CARE-based premarital counseling and the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program were effective in reducing maladaptive perfectionism and improving communication skills among individuals preparing for marriage. However, PREP demonstrated superior effectiveness and greater stability of outcomes over time. These findings suggest that structured relationship education programs emphasizing communication, conflict management, and realistic expectations may be particularly beneficial for enhancing marital readiness and promoting healthier future relationships.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Maryam Derakhshan Nejad (Author); Bahman Akbari; Seyedeh Maryam Mousavi (Author)
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