Psychology Professor James Córdova
Clark University Professor of Psychology James V. Córdova and the researchers at Clark University’s Center for Couples and Family Research, have determined that the Marriage Checkup, an innovative, two-session relationship health checkup designed by Professor Córdova, and described in a book by the same name, is effective at helping couples increase relationship health and happiness.
Specifically, the Marriage Checkup was found to significantly improve crucial aspects of relationship health including intimacy, acceptance, and marital satisfaction. Increased emotional intimacy and acceptance between partners persisted for over two years after couples received a Marriage Checkup. Couples who received an additional Checkup one year after participating in their initial Marriage Checkup continued to report increased marital satisfaction through the two-year follow-up period.
“These results are promising and, if implemented broadly, the Marriage Checkup has significant potential to make a meaningful public health impact on marital relationship health,” said Professor Córdova.
Building on these findings, researchers at Clark have already developed partnerships to make the Marriage Checkup more accessible to others.
In 2013, Cordova received funding from the Department of Defense’s Defense Health Program to disseminate the marriage checkup in Air Force primary care settings. He recently introduced the Marriage Checkup to a community based integrative health-care facility in Tennessee, primarily targeting underserved couples. Researchers are also working to incorporate the Marriage Checkup into obstetric settings and adapting it for expectant couples as a means to reduce the risk of postpartum depression. A version of the Marriage Checkup addressing the unique needs of same-sex couples is also under development.
Professor Córdova is working on web-based program that will provide community clinicians the materials to offer Marriage Checkups (his recently published “The Marriage Checkup Practitioner’s Guide: Promoting Lifelong Relationship Health” (APA Press 2013) presently serves as a resource for clinicians). A public website is also being developed to make the Marriage Checkup more readily available for individuals, couples, and therapists. Professor Córdova predicts the public website will be live by August 2015.