In spite of some initial disappointments, the large number of publications and government services devoted to prevention suggests that preventive mental health has established its place in the mental health delivery system. Prevention is broadly defined as an attempt to reduce the prevalence of a disorder. Traditionally, prevention has been divided into three levels: primary prevention which reduces the rate of a disorder and is applied prior to its onset, and secondary and tertiary prevention which reduce the duration of a disorder. Prevention programs, particularly primary prevention, have been criticized on empirical, economic and moral grounds. Primary prevention techniques appear to be easily and appropriately applied to marital relations. Statistics strongly suggest that marital dysfunction affects all classes of people and produces problems of major social importance. Prevention programs with marital/couple relationships have typically focused on those planning to be married, those already married, or those in the process of divorce. Religious groups have had a major impact on premarital programs, although other models have been effective. Prevention programs for on-going marital relations emphasize similar goals, i.e., communication and problem-solving skills. Mental health providers have only recently begun to apply prevention strategies as a means of minimizing the negative consequences of divorce. (JAC)