How the MC could relieve individual stress
depression, includes external stressors, reduced relationship distress
No previous study has reported effects of any relationship checkup model on perceived stress (for a meta‐analysis, see Fentz & Trillingsgaard, For the first path, the MC can be assumed to relieve stress by targeting stressors within the relationship itself, for example, conflicts, lack of intimacy, and breaches of trust. In support of this assumption, randomized trials on relationship checkup models that reduced relationship distress did, with few exceptions (e.g., Halford et al., For the second path, the MC can be assumed to reduce the impact from stressors external to the relationship (e.g., from work, illness, or finance issues) by increasing stress‐buffering resources in the relationship (e.g., stronger social/emotional support or dyadic coping). In general, interdisciplinary research has vastly confirmed that the impact of stressors on individual stress (as well as general health) is reduced when the individual perceives social support, especially from a romantic partner (e.g., Bodenmann & Randall, In sum, the weight of the current evidence is in favor of a positive hypothesis. Given that the MC has been found to be effective in improving relationship satisfaction and depression and includes external stressors as an aspect of the intervention, it seems likely that the intervention will also be effective in reducing individual stress. Yet, the lack of published findings on perceived stress outside the field of coping‐focused couple interventions leaves open the possibility that such effects are generally absent when interventions have a more implicit focus on coping with external sources of stress.