What is "Healthy Marriage?" Defining the Concept

Authored by Kristin A. Moore. This recent brief from Child Trends examines the concept of healthy marriage and the elements that, taken together, help define it. Drawing from available research studies and data, theoretical writings, and short papers commissioned from scholars in the field, the study identifies 10 critical ingredients of a healthy marriage. The brief is part of Child Trends' ongoing conceptual and methodological work on healthy marriage for research and intervention evaluation studies among low-income couples, funded by OPRE through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Family and Child Well-Being Research Network.