Building better intimate relationships: advances in linking basic research and preventive interventions

Spouses and families alike are nurtured in families, and the integrity of these families is crucial to the well-being of our communities. At the center of these families are intimate bonds between two adults, and we know from a vast body of research that a great deal pivots on the quality of these bonds. Effective interventions for distressed couples are now available, but because therapy can be a case of “too little too late,” there is a need for educational interventions that can prevent distress and dissolution while also enhancing relationship satisfaction and family harmony. Most existing prevention programs hold promise but fall short of what is needed to ensure stronger couple relationships. In this chapter we have offered an overview of the state of knowledge in this area, both internationally as well as in the Italian context, with particular focus on the need to incorporate basic research findings into future programs and on the value of seeing families as intergenerational families that have great potential to enhance generativity and human welfare.