ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS)

The full ENRICH Couple Inventory (approximately 125 items) provides comprehensive assessment across 12+ relationship dimensions: personality compatibility, communication, conflict resolution, emotional intimacy, sexual satisfaction, financial management, parenting, leisure activities, values alignment, family-of-origin impact, and others. The satisfaction-only version focuses on overall contentment and may be administered when time is limited. The full inventory provides richer diagnostic information suitable for therapy; the shorter version is adequate for screening or progress monitoring.

ENRICH was originally designed for and is widely used with engaged couples. The assessment helps engaged couples discuss expectations, communication, values, and potential conflict areas before marriage. Separate normative data are available for engaged versus married couples, allowing interpretation specific to relationship stage. Many churches and premarital counseling programs use ENRICH as a standard assessment before marriage.

Large discrepancies signal an area of concern and relationship dissatisfaction that warrants clinical attention. For example, if one partner scores very high on sexual satisfaction and the other very low, this reflects mismatched expectations or unmet needs. Use the discrepancy as an entry point for clinical conversation: explore whether this reflects genuine differences in desire, communication barriers, or unaddressed conflicts. This dimension may require targeted intervention.

ENRICH can be used with same-sex couples; the assessment items generally are gender-neutral. However, most normative data and couple comparisons in published materials derive from heterosexual couples. When interpreting scores for same-sex couples, be aware that cultural norms regarding sexuality, gender roles, and parenting may differ. Use clinical judgment to contextualize results within the couple's lived experience.

The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) is a traditional psychometric measure of marital adjustment that identifies problems and distress. The ENRICH takes a strengths-based systems approach, identifying both strengths and growth areas across multiple dimensions. DAS is ideal for documenting baseline distress in couple therapy; ENRICH is ideal for engagement with couples seeking enrichment or premarital preparation. Some clinicians use both: ENRICH to engage couples and identify strengths, DAS to document baseline distress if therapy is needed.