Military Wives' Stressful Disclosures to Their Deployed Husbands: The Role of Protective Buffering

Survey data were used to explore communication between military wives and their deployed spouses. Specifically, the authors examined the factors related to military wives decisions to either disclose their stressors to their deployed husbands or to shield husbands from information that may increase stress (that is, protective buffering when people hide concerns or problems to protect others). The authors also examined how military wives communication decisions were associated with their physical and mental health and marital satisfaction.