Effects of a Couple Communication Program on Marital Adjustment

<i>Background:</i> Couples are usually advised to improve their communication skills to increase harmony and avoid conflicts. However, studies aimed at increasing marital adjustment in primary care are limited. <i>Methods:</i> A Couple Communication Program was announced at the Ondokuz Mayis University Permanent Education Center, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale was administered to 67 couples who volunteered. Twenty-eight persons (14 couples) with the lowest test scores were randomized into study and control groups. At the end of the program (post-test), the scale was again administered to the study group. Afterward, the pretest and post-test scores of the study and control groups were compared. The study group’s pretest, post-test, and follow-up test scores were also examined. <i>Results:</i> No difference in marital adjustment was found between the study and control groups before the start of the program (<i>P</i> &gt; .05). The post-test scores of the couples attending the Couple Communication Program proved to be higher in total than the scores of those who did not attend (<i>P</i> &lt; .001). The post-test and follow-up scores of the study group were significantly higher than their pretest scores (<i>P</i> &lt; .001). There was no significant difference between the post-test and follow-up scores of the study group (<i>P</i> = 1.0). <i>Conclusion:</i> This program may have a positive effect on marital adjustment levels by improving communication skills and may lead to long-term behavioral modifications in couples.