Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
In order to ascertain fruitful directions for marital therapy research, practicing marital therapists were asked to provide information regarding the clinical relevance of potential research topics. A structured questionnaire was mailed to 250 members of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Therapists treating at least five couples were asked to rate the frequency, severity, and treatment difficulty for 29 problems commonly experienced by distressed couples. Therapists' responses indicated the clinical relevance of a number of potential directions for research. Communication and alcoholism were most strongly endorsed as priority areas for future marital therapy research.
Geiss et al. (1981) studied this question.