Publication year
2016
Citation Title
Relational turbulence among military couples after reunion following deployment
Journal Name
Personal Relationship
Journal Volume
23
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
742-748
DOI
10.1111/pere.12148
Summary
Reintegration following deployment can be challenging for Service members and their at-home partners. This study examined how both partners' depressive symptoms, uncertainty about the relationship, and disruption of each other's routines impacted each partners' feelings of how tumultuous their relationship was (i.e., relational turbulence), and assessed how these relationship dynamics changed over the first three months of the reintegration period. While most couples reported low levels of distress during the reintegration period, a portion struggled with changing relationship dynamics.
Key Findings
Overall, participants reported low levels of depressive symptoms and relational turbulence.
Depressive symptoms and feelings of relationship turmoil were similar across the three month period, while uncertainty about the relationship and disruption in routines increased from the one to two month follow-up.
The overall measures of uncertainty about the relationship and disruption in routines remained higher from the two to three month follow-up for both men and women, which supports the theory that military couples may experience a short honeymoon phase, followed by a more challenging period.
Depressive symptoms felt by one partner impacted both partners' feelings of relationship turmoil.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer relationship education programming to couples four to eight weeks after homecoming rather than immediately following the Service member's return
Collaborate with community organizations that offer interventions to couples that address both mental health issues and relationship issues
Disseminate information to returning Service members and their at-home partners regarding potential relationship challenges and where couples can find help for these problems
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote reintegration programs that address changing relationship dynamics in the post-deployment couple relationship
Recommend integrating relationship education into existing service delivery systems for military couples
Recommend education for service providers around the importance of helping military couples navigate relationship challenges during the reintegration period
Methods
Participants included 118 heterosexual couples (236 individuals) from 20 states where one or both partners had returned from a deployment in the last 30 days.
Participants were recruited via advertisements on social media and by emailing study information to key military personnel (e.g., family readiness officers, chaplains).
Service members' and partners' self-reported depressive symptoms, uncertainty about the relationship, disruption of each other's routines, and relationship turmoil were assessed and compared across three time points (i.e., less than one month, 2 months, and 3 months following return from deployment).
Participants
Participants ranged in age from 21-63 years (M=33.03 years, SD=6.84 years).
Participants were White (84%), Latino (6%), Black (4%), Native American (3%), Asian (2%), and Other (1%).
Most couples were married (98%) for an average of 9.61 years (SD=5.67 years), and 14% of the couples were both in the military.
More than half of the Service members served in the Army (57%), 13% in the Air National Guard, 6% in the Air Force, and 3% in the Marines.
Limitations
Due to a convenience sample that was racially homogeneous, conclusions may not generalize to the larger military population.
An overreliance on self-report data could introduce bias, affecting the study's reliability.
The study's descriptive findings hinted at trends that were unable to be explored with only three time points.
Avenues for Future Research
Expand the study to reach more racially diverse participants within a randomly selected sample in order to increase the ability to generalize the study's findings
Incorporate multiple reporters or multiple modes of data (i.e., self-report and observational measures) to increase the study's reliability
Collect more waves of data over a longer period of time to better understand trends in relationship dynamics
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
Reintegration following deployment is a pivotal time for returning service members and at-home partners. We test logic
derived from the relational turbulence model about depressive symptoms, relational uncertainty, and interference from a
partner as predictors of people’s appraisals of turmoil during the post-deployment transition. Participants were 118
military couples who completed an online questionnaire once per month for the first 3 months after homecoming.
Multilevel models predicting people’s appraisals of turmoil revealed (a) actor and partner effects of depressive
symptoms, (b) actor effects of relational uncertainty, and (c) actor effects of interference from a partner that were
apparent beyond people’s appraisals of turmoil during the previous month. These findings advance both theory and
practice.
derived from the relational turbulence model about depressive symptoms, relational uncertainty, and interference from a
partner as predictors of people’s appraisals of turmoil during the post-deployment transition. Participants were 118
military couples who completed an online questionnaire once per month for the first 3 months after homecoming.
Multilevel models predicting people’s appraisals of turmoil revealed (a) actor and partner effects of depressive
symptoms, (b) actor effects of relational uncertainty, and (c) actor effects of interference from a partner that were
apparent beyond people’s appraisals of turmoil during the previous month. These findings advance both theory and
practice.
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