The Effects of Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Programs for Youth
Evidence | Publications

The Effects of Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Programs for Youth

OPRE Report 2021-225
Published: Dec 31, 2021
Publisher: Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Human Services Family Support Strengthening Families and Responsible Fatherhood

Associated Project

Fatherhood, Relationships, and Marriage – Illuminating the Next Generation of Research (FRAMING Research)

Time frame: 2018-2023

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families

Clients

OPRE Logo

Authors

Julia Alamillo

Lane Ritchie

Robert G. Wood

Key Findings

  • Several studies found favorable impacts immediately after the program on youths’ relationship attitudes and beliefs and their willingness to use relationship services in the future.
  • The evidence of impacts on youths’ relationship skills and conflict management behaviors is mixed, with some studies finding favorable impacts and others finding no impacts.
  • Few studies examined impacts on the quality of youths’ relationships with a current or former romantic partner.
  • There is limited evidence that programs affected attitudes and behaviors in additional, related outcome domains.
  • Studies with higher response rates found limited evidence of long-term program impacts.

Healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) programs for youth aim to fill a common gap in what youth learn about romantic relationships. Although many youth receive instruction in school or through programs in the community on avoiding teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), few receive instruction on the social or emotional aspects of romantic relationships. By emphasizing these topics, HMRE programs aim to help youth improve their relationship skills, attitudes, and behaviors and ultimately form and maintain healthy relationships in adolescence and adulthood. This brief uses an evidence and gaps map to summarize the existing evidence base on the effectiveness of HMRE programs for youth.

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