Effect of relationship enhancement training on communication pattern of families with adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria

Communication is the key to understanding the dynamics in family relations. Positive statements elicit positive responses and negative statements elicit negative responses. Out of this framework evolved the notion of training people to learn constructive relationship skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Relationship Enhancement Training on Communication Pattern of families with adolescents in Ibadan. Multistage random sampling method was used to select eighty (80) parents (40 males and 40 females) who met the diagnostic criteria for inclusion in the training programme. Participants responded to questionnaires on adolescence characteristics and parental behaviour handling styles. The t-test statistic and ANCOVA at 0.05 alpha levels were used. The findings revealed significant treatment effect (F(1,76) =172.02; p<0.05) for participants exposed to relationship enhancement training compared to those in the control group. Furthermore, results also showed that fathers (x=91.67) who participated in the programme improved better than mothers (x=90.61) in their communication pattern with adolescents. The results implicate the need for inclusion of both parents in intervention programmes to improve parenting practices of families of adolescents.