A Randomized Clinical Trial of a Computer Based Preventive Intervention: Replication and Extension of ePREP Scott R. Braithwaite and Frank D. Fincham Florida State University This randomized clinical trial replicated the efficacy of the ePREP preventive intervention for mental health and relationship relevant outcomes in a sample of 77 college students. It extended previous research by demonstrating efficacy at a 10-month follow up. Participants in the ePREP condition experienced improved mental health and relationship relevant outcomes relative to those who received a placebo intervention. The impact of the ePREP intervention on these outcomes was durable to relationship dissolution with and without repartnering. The flexibility of this intervention empowers it to overcome key obstacles in the dissemination of relationship education. Keywords: computer-based interventions, prevention, relationship education A handful of relationship education programs have dem- onstrated efficacy in reducing marital discord and divorce (Jakubowski, Milne, Brunner, & Miller, 2004). However, two key problems face prevention focused relationship ed- ucation. First, research indicates that those who usually receive relationship education are at relatively low risk for divorce and other marital problems (Sullivan & Bradbury, 1997). Second, longitudinal studies that have examined the impact of relationship education over longer spans of time suggest that the gains achieved through relationship educa- tion tend to diminish over time (Markman, Renick, Floyd, & Stanley, 1993). Consequently, a need has arisen to pro- duce forms of evidence based relationship education that address these two limitations by increasing flexibility with- out sacrificing efficacy. At least three interventions have arisen to meet this need. Halford and colleagues’ Couple CARE program (Halford, Moore, Wilson, Dyer, & Farrugia, 2004), which allows participants to complete most of the work associated with the intervention on their own in combination with telephone sessions with a therapist, demonstrated improved relation- ship satisfaction relative to controls. Larson and colleagues examined the impact of an assessment based premarital intervention (RELATE) and found that self-guided use of this intervention produced increased relationship satisfac- tion relative to controls (Larson, Galbraith, Holman, & Stahmann, 2007). Research on both of these interventions is limited by the fact that these studies provided only short- term pre and post intervention data, and neither examined the impact of these interventions on other relevant variables such as psychopathology. One potentially powerful means of dissemination is to offer programs via computers and computer-based networks. Importantly, a meta-analysis conducted by Cavanaugh and Shapiro (2004) found that clients who have received computer-based interventions see them as a valid form of treatment. Brief, individual focused rela- tionship interventions have the power to overcome many of the obstacles that currently face dissemination of relation- ship education. These interventions could benefit the rela- tionships of individuals who have partners that are averse to receiving couples treatment as usual. Moreover, the poten- tial cost effectiveness and flexibility offered by computer- based treatments allow them to reach nearly any population and provide an attractive alternative for important popula- tions that relationship educators would like to reach, includ- ing technology savvy adolescents and those who have neg- ative attitudes about face-to-face relationship education or treatment. ePREP, a computer based intervention developed by Braithwaite and Fincham (2007), is designed to be used as a primary preventive intervention and a flexible form of relationship education. In an initial trial, ePREP showed promise in improving key outcomes such as problematic communication, intimate partner violence, depression, and anxiety in a randomized control trial that followed partici- pants for approximately 2 months. In this study, ePREP participants demonstrated better mental health and relation- ship outcomes than the placebo/control condition. More- over, the mental health outcomes for those in the ePREP condition were not significantly different from another con- dition that used a computerized empirically supported pre- ventive intervention designed specifically to address depres- sion and anxiety (Cukrowicz & Joiner, 2007). Critical to establishing the viability of ePREP, however, is replication Scott R. Braithwaite, Department of Psychology and Family Institute, Florida State University; Frank D. Fincham, Family Institute, Florida State University. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Scott R. Braithwaite, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4301. E-mail: srbraithwaite@ gmail.com Journal of Family Psychology © 2009 American Psychological Association 2009, Vol. 23, No. 1, 32–38 0893-3200/09/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0014061 32