Comparing the Effects of Two Programs of Building Lasting Connection and Relationship Enhancement on Increasing Intimacy and Problem-Solving in Pre-Married Couples

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Pre-married couples in order to form a stable life need training to improve intimacy and problem-solving. Therefore, the aim of this study was comparing the effects of two programs of building lasting connection and relationship enhancement on increasing intimacy and problem-solving in pre-married married.

Methodology: The present study was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up with a control group. The population of this study was all pre-married married who referred to counseling centers of Karaj city in the winter of 2024 and spring of 2025, which 60 people of them were selected using a available sampling method and randomly assigned to three equal groups. Each of the experimental groups underwent 6 sessions of 2-hour by programs of building lasting connection and relationship enhancement, separatly and the control group remained on the waiting list for training. Data were collected using the Marital Intimacy Questionnaire (Vanden Broucke., et al., 1995) and the Problem-Solving Inventory (Heppner & Petersen, 1982) and analyzed using methods of analysis of variance with repeated measures and Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS-23 software.

Findings: The results of this study indicated that both programs of building lasting connection and relationship enhancement increased intimacy and problem-solving in pre-married married at the post-test and follow-up stages (P<0.001). Also, the effect of the building lasting connection program in compared to relationship enhancement program was greater only in intimacy of couples (P<0.001).

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, educational programs to pre-married married can play an effective role in improving their intimacy and problem-solving, which in this regard, the effect of the building lasting connection program was greater.