Overview

This study is testing a program called Get Better Together, a relationship education program designed to help military couples effectively navigate life stressors as a team. The goal is to find out if attending Get Better Together improves mental health and relationship skills, and reduces problems like alcohol misuse, aggression, and suicide risk. Couples who join the study will be randomly placed into one of two groups. One group will attend Get Better Together at a weekend retreat. The other group will continue their usual activities and later receive access to an online relationship education program. All participants will complete surveys before the retreat and again 2, 4, and 6 months later.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Couple is in a committed romantic relationship of at least six months
• At least one partner is a military Service member on active duty
• Both partners are age 18 or older
• Couple has not previously attended a relationship enrichment retreat or workshop together (e.g., CREDO, Strong Bonds, BSRT). This does not include couples therapy or pre-marital counseling.

Exclusion Criteria:

• One or both partners decline to provide informed consent
• Required command endorsement for retreat attendance is not received (for Service members E-6 and below)
• Couple is unable or unwilling to attend any of the scheduled retreats during the study period