Analysis of the Components of Marital Relationship Enrichment Program

Abstract

Introduction: Marital relationship enrichment program is designed for couples who have relatively good relationship and desire to improve it. The enrichment program seeks to improve couples’ relationships and determine the factors and conditions upon which marital satisfaction and compatibility can be realized after marriage. The objective of this study was to analyze the components of marital relationship enrichment program using a qualitative method. Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative method based on deductive content analysis. At first, 46 related sources (13 books, 30 papers, and 3 theses) were used to identify and extract the components related to enriching couples’ relationships. Purposive sampling was used and data collection continued until the data saturation point. Then, the relevant components were extracted and the obtained data were recorded and classified into codes, subthemes, and main themes based on the shared content. Results: The data extracted in this study were classified into 52 codes, 21 subthemes, and 5 main themes. The main themes of enriching couples’ relationships included developing awareness and cognition, communication skills, emotional literacy, commitment to improve the relationship, and conflict resolution skills. Conclusion: Taking into account the results of this study concerning the components of enriching marital relationship can provide the necessary context for success in marriage.

Keywords

• marriage
• qualitative research
• marital therapy
• marital relationship
• marital enrichment program