Evaluation of Premarital Education 1 Running head: EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREMARITAL EDUCATION Evaluating the Effectiveness of Premarital Education: A Review of Outcome Research

In an effort to address high rates of marital distress and divorce, numerous scholars, educators, and policy makers have advocated for premarital education programs. Despite this widespread support, there remains a number of valid questions regarding the general effectiveness of premarital education in strengthening marriages and preventing divorce. This paper presents a comprehensive and critical evaluation of the research literature pertaining to the effectiveness of premarital education. Our findings suggest that premarital education programs are generally effective in producing immediate and shortterm gains in interpersonal skills and overall relationship quality, and that these improvements are significantly better than non-intervention control group couples in these areas. However, there is less support for the long-term effectiveness of these interventions. Drawing from the findings of this review, we propose implications for future research, education, and policy.