Veteran PTSS and Spouse Relationship Quality: The Importance of Dyadic Coping

Research with combat Veterans and their spouses has documented the harmful impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) on relationships, yet few studies have evaluated theoretically based models of relational processes among these couples. In this study, the authors tested 2 moderators of the association between male combat Veterans’ PTSS and their female spouses’ reported relationship quality based on Bodenmann’s (1997, 2005) systemic transactional theory of dyadic coping. We hypothesized that supportive dyadic coping and common dyadic coping would moderate the association of PTSS and spouses’ relationship quality. Hypotheses were supported. The degree to which a Veteran’s PTSS was negatively associated with his spouse’s relationship quality depended on whether she perceived him as supportive when she experiences stress (i.e., supportive dyadic coping) and the degree to which she perceived the couple as working together to manage difficulties (i.e., common dyadic coping). The significant interactions of PTSS with supportive and common dyadic coping accounted for 11.95% and 10.58% of the variance, respectively. Tests of conditional effects showed veterans’ PTSS was only significantly negatively associated with spouses’ relationship quality when supportive and common dyadic coping were low. Findings highlight the importance of adaptive dyadic coping behaviors as a protective factor for spouses of Veterans and hold implications for research and practice.