\u2018Relationship checkups\u2019 are key tool for treating depression in veterans, Professor C\u00f3rdova\u2019s pilot study shows<\/p>\n

Clark psychologist James Córdova envisions that, one day, couples’ “relationship checkups” with mental health professionals will be as easy to schedule as dental appointments.<\/p>\n

That could have significant effects on individuals’ mental health, he adds. Even just one or two brief sessions of relationship counseling have been proven to decrease individual depression and suicidal ideation, according to studies conducted by Córdova and his co-authors — psychiatrists, psychologists, and public health experts from research institutions in Texas and Ohio.<\/p>\n

If you need help<\/h4>\n
If you are experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts, call 988, the 24-hour, confidential Suicide and Crisis Lifeline<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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Córdova’s Clark-based startup company, Arammu Inc.<\/a>, has an almost $2 million multiyear contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to train more than 1,000 military family life counselors around the world to apply his Relationship Checkup model to couples counseling.<\/p>\n
He created the model — originally called the Marriage Checkup<\/a> and consisting of two 1-hour sessions — 25 years ago. His book<\/a>, “The Marriage Checkup: A Scientific Program for Sustaining and Strengthening Marital Health,” was published in 2009, and it has been popular ever since with psychologists and couples alike.<\/p>\n
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Study psychology<\/h4>\n
Do you want to study with researchers like James Córdova and help others with their mental health?<\/p>\n
Major in psychology<\/a><\/p>\n
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“We’re starting in the military with regular relationship health checkups and then hoping to be able to follow that path out into the civilian world,” Córdova explains.<\/p>\n
The next “stop” on this path includes military veterans, who have re-entered civilian life, often with stress in tow, he says. Arammu has extended its Relationship Checkups to couples obtaining mental health services through the Veterans Administration (VA) and veterans hospitals.<\/p>\n
When military personnel retire and leave active duty, “they experience a lot of relationship upheaval as they cross that transition back into civilian life,” Córdova notes. “They also can experience PTSD, depression, anxiety, interpersonal violence, substance abuse, and a higher risk of suicide.”<\/p>\n
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“The thing about relationships is, a rising tide raises all boats. If you improve relationship health, everything else comes with it.”<\/p>\n
— Professor James Córdova
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Study psychology<\/h4>\nDo you want to study with researchers like James Córdova and help others with their mental health?<\/p>\n