Intervention programs designed to promote healthy romantic relationships in youth: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: To conduct a systematic literature review of intervention programs designed to promote healthy romantic relationships in youth (aged 12-25 years). The focus was on universal interventions that have the potential to be effective and widely implemented.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Social Science Database, and Embase. Articles were included if they were a randomized controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-experimental study and reported on a universal intervention aimed at promoting healthy romantic relationship knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among youth.

Results: The search strategy identified 27 studies (26,212 participants). Interventions were found to be effective for improving healthy romantic relationship knowledge in the target population. However, the findings were mixed for intervention effectiveness in changing relationship attitudes/beliefs, and there was limited evidence to support change across behavioral outcomes.

Conclusions: This review highlights the need for future research, including high quality RCTs with longer follow-up periods in a broad range of cultural and ethnic settings, to improve the generalisability of findings. Interventions for adolescents that improve knowledge and behavioral change relating to healthy romantic relationships have the potential to reduce mental and physical health problems during this phase of development.

Keywords: Adolescent; Dating; Randomised control trial; Systematic review; Young person.