Community-based premarital prevention: Clergy and lay leaders on the front lines

This study reports on the results of the dissemination of an empirically-based, premarital education program within religious organizations. The following major results are discussed with respect to premarital prevention: (a) Clergy and lay leaders were as effective in the short run as our university staff (b) couples taking the more skills-oriented intervention showed advantages over couples receiving naturally occurring services on interaction quality and (c) couples reported that the communication skills components of premarital education were the most helpful.