CARE Lab at UGA

CARE Lab at UGA We translate relationship research into practical skills and programs that elevate couple relationships.

Can stronger relationship skills help reduce parenting stress? Research from the CARE Lab examined how couple relationsh...
08/21/2026

Can stronger relationship skills help reduce parenting stress?

Research from the CARE Lab examined how couple relationship education influenced relationship skills and parenting stress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Led by CARE Lab alumna Dr. Avery Campbell, the study found that couples strengthened their communication, conflict management, and relationship skills regardless of when they participated. However, improvements in relationship skills were linked to lower parenting stress only for couples who participated before the pandemic.

These findings suggest that healthy relationship skills can help families thrive under typical circumstances. They also highlight that major external stressors, such as a pandemic, can limit the extent to which stronger relationship skills translate into lower parenting stress.

Read the article by clicking this link: https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.13099

Our team was honored to attend the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR) Conference in Scotland! 🌍D...
08/17/2026

Our team was honored to attend the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR) Conference in Scotland! 🌍

During the conference, Dr. Ted Futris and Dr. Evin Richardson presented their research, contributing to important conversations on relationship and family science while representing the University of Georgia and Elevate Couples Georgia.

We’re grateful for opportunities like these to collaborate with researchers from around the world, share our work, and bring back new insights that strengthen relationship education and research in Georgia and beyond.

Looking to build your social media marketing skills while making an impact? 📱Elevate Couples Georgia is looking for a So...
08/14/2026

Looking to build your social media marketing skills while making an impact? 📱

Elevate Couples Georgia is looking for a Social Media Intern to join our team! This is a great opportunity for a UGA student interested in marketing, communications, public relations, or digital media to gain hands-on experience creating content that supports healthy relationships across Georgia.

Interested? We’d love to hear from you!

UGA students can login to their Handshake account and apply here: https://app.joinhandshake.com/public/jobs/11304885

Healthy couple relationships may play an important role in foster parent retention. ❤️ CARE Lab researchers found that f...
08/14/2026

Healthy couple relationships may play an important role in foster parent retention. ❤️

CARE Lab researchers found that foster caregivers who reported stronger couple relationship quality were more likely to want to continue fostering. The findings also suggested that foster mothers' perceptions of relationship quality were particularly important, with lower relationship quality being associated with a greater likelihood of wanting to stop fostering within the following year.

These findings highlight the value of supporting couple relationships throughout the fostering journey. Relationship education, communication skills, coparenting support, and access to counseling may not only strengthen couples—they may also help sustain foster families.

đź“š Richardson, E. W., Mallette, J. K., Futris, T. G., Brown, R., Starke, J., Cui, S., & Shepherd, L. (2025). Dyadic Reports of Interparental Relationship Quality and Intentions to Continue Fostering Among Coupled Foster Caregivers. Family Process, 64, e70044. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.70044

Strong relationships can help foster caregivers navigate difficult transitions. CARE Lab research found that confidence ...
08/07/2026

Strong relationships can help foster caregivers navigate difficult transitions.

CARE Lab research found that confidence in a romantic relationship—known as relationship efficacy—was associated with better relationship well-being among foster caregivers in committed relationships who had experienced a foster child leaving their home within the past year.

While saying goodbye to a foster child can be emotionally challenging, a strong, supportive relationship may help couples navigate this transition together.

Strong relationships can provide comfort, connection, and resilience throughout the fostering journey. ❤️

Richardson, E. W., Mallette, J. K., & Futris, T. G. (2022). "In my heart forever:" Foster caregivers' dedication, grief, and couple relationship quality. Journal of Family Studies, 28(1), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2019.1685561

Happy Parents’ Appreciation Day from the CARE Lab.Today is a good day to recognize the parents and caregivers who show u...
07/24/2026

Happy Parents’ Appreciation Day from the CARE Lab.

Today is a good day to recognize the parents and caregivers who show up in big ways and small ways, even when it’s hard. If there’s a parent in your life who deserves a little extra love, tag them or send them a quick note of appreciation.

What helps unmarried parents build strong, lasting relationships? A CARE Lab study led by former doctoral student Dr. Je...
07/24/2026

What helps unmarried parents build strong, lasting relationships?

A CARE Lab study led by former doctoral student Dr. Jenee Duncan, now a faculty member at the University of Florida, examined factors that predict relationship stability among unmarried parents.

Using the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation (VSA) framework, the researchers found that both individual experiences and relationship dynamics matter. Stronger relationship commitment and healthier relationship skills were associated with greater relationship stability, while higher levels of stress and relationship difficulties increased the likelihood of relationship dissolution.

These findings highlight the importance of helping couples strengthen relationship skills while also supporting them in navigating the everyday stresses that can affect family relationships.

Duncan, J. C., Zhang, X., Futris, T. G., & Sims, K. M. (2024). Examining predictors of relationship dissolution among unmarried parents: Applying the vulnerability–stress–adaptation framework. Journal of Family Psychology, 38(5), 732–742. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001216

Early life experiences don't have to define the future of a relationship. ❤️ New CARE Lab research found that adverse ch...
07/17/2026

Early life experiences don't have to define the future of a relationship. ❤️

New CARE Lab research found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can affect adult romantic relationships by increasing psychological distress and making it more difficult to practice everyday relationship maintenance behaviors, such as showing affection, expressing appreciation, and making time to connect.

The good news is that these relationship skills can be learned. Couple relationship education programs like ELEVATE help couples strengthen the everyday habits that support healthy, resilient, and lasting relationships.

Congratulations to lead author Dr. Alicia Arroyo and co-authors Dr. Evin Richardson, Dr. Ted Futris, Rachel Brown, and Alexis Gilbert on this publication!

đź“– Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075261445143

Congratulations to lead author Dr. Analisa Arroyo and co-authors Dr. Evin Richardson, Dr. Ted Futris, Dr. Rachel Brown, and Abigail Gilbert on this publication!

🤝 Collaborator SpotlightThis month, we're excited to highlight Dr. Catherine W. O'Neal, Associate Professor in Human Dev...
07/10/2026

🤝 Collaborator Spotlight

This month, we're excited to highlight Dr. Catherine W. O'Neal, Associate Professor in Human Development and Family Science at the University of Georgia and a valued CARE Lab collaborator.

Dr. O'Neal's research focuses on helping military and veteran families thrive through stress, transitions, and change. Her work examines family resilience, financial well-being, and relationship and contextual factors that shape healthy family functioning. Through program evaluation and applied research, she helps translate scientific evidence into practical programs, policies, and resources that support families.

Recent publications from Dr. O'Neal include research on:

- Mental health and well-being among active-duty military families (Family Process, 2024)

- Family financial socialization and financial capability among U.S. military service members (Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 2024)

- Delivering accessible, online financial education for military service members during career and life transitions (Family Relations, 2023)

In addition to her publications, Dr. O'Neal leads and collaborates on projects evaluating military financial readiness programs and expanding access to evidence-based resources that strengthen military families.

We're grateful for collaborators like Dr. O'Neal whose research advances knowledge while making a meaningful difference for individuals, couples, and families.

Learn more about Dr. O'Neal's work: https://www.fcs.uga.edu/people/bio/catherine-walker-oneal

We’re excited to share that new research connected to the CARE Lab was recently featured in UGA Today. ❤️The UGA Today s...
07/09/2026

We’re excited to share that new research connected to the CARE Lab was recently featured in UGA Today. ❤️

The UGA Today story highlights findings from a recent study by Analisa Arroyo, Evin W. Richardson, Ted G. Futris, Rachel A. Brown, & Abigail S. Gilbert, on how adverse childhood experiences can relate to mental health and relationship quality and how relationship maintenance skills may serve as an important resource for couples.

Read the UGA Today feature and more: https://news.uga.edu/your-childhood-may-haunt-your-relationships/

https://www.gpb.org/news/2026/07/14/new-study-examines-how-childhood-trauma-affects-intimate-relationships-in-adulthood

https://www.wsbradio.com/news/local/childhood-trauma-linked-loneliness-anxiety-relationship-challenges-uga-study-finds/OM2U7X6RUFHNPPDYF3UMJGOW3U/

Research article: https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075261445143

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