Publication year
2013
Citation Title
Combat disclosure in intimate relationships: Mediating the impact of partner support on posttraumatic stress
Journal Name
Journal of Family Psychology
Journal Volume
27
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
560-568
DOI
10.1037/a0033412
Summary
Seventy-six Active Duty Airmen participated in a study that examined associations between willingness to disclose war-zone deployment experiences, severity of PTSD symptoms, and perceived partner support. Results indicated increased disclosure regarding combat experiences resulted in higher levels of partner support and decreased severity of PTSD symptoms.
Key Findings
Findings revealed that Airmen who shared more combat and deployment disclosure had higher levels of partner support and less relational distress.
Analyses found that Airmen who engaged in conversation regarding combat-related experiences were negatively related to post-deployment PTSD symptoms.
Results indicated that couples with high relational distress predicted low probability of Airmen disclosing combat experience.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide education to military couples to enhance positive communication skills such as addressing issues directly and conflict resolution
Disseminate information regarding possible symptoms of mental health problems Airmen may face after deployment and where individuals and families can find other avenues for support
Offer pre- and post-deployment support groups for couples and their families
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote reintegration programs that include attention to assisting Service members’ families in adjusting to their return from deployment
Continue to provide support for programs that work to increase family and couple readiness
Recommend professional development courses for community providers who work with military families to educate them about unique factors that contribute to marital strain for military couples
Methods
Participants were recruited from a larger longitudinal study which assessed risk and protective factors across year-long deployments to Iraq.
Multiple measures were used to collect data regarding social support, PTSD diagnosis, combat disclosure, relationship distress, and combat experiences.
Statistical analyses focused on examining associations between disclosure of combat experiences and perceived relationship distress.
Participants
Seventy-six Active Duty Airmen participated; 66% White, 14% Black, 11% Latino, 5% Asian-American, 2% Native American, and 2% Non-disclosed/Other.
Of the 76 participants, 92% were male with an average age of 27.9 years (SD = 6.1, age range = 21-41 years).
Over half (60%) of participants graduated from high school, earned a GED, or higher with an average of 13.7 years (SD = 1.8, range 12-20 years) of education.
Average length of deployment was 13.1 months (SD = 7.3, range = 1-30 months), with 46% of participants deployed at least twice on an OEF/OIF mission or deployment.
Limitations
Partner support was gathered from the Airmen and not the partners, which could limit the ability to draw conclusions on partner support.
Combat disclosure and partner support were assessed once, which limits the ability to determine long-term effects among these two variables.
Conclusions based on a small or homogenous sample (i.e. Airmen) may not be appropriate for the larger population.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine the benefits of other types of social support on PTSD symptoms and relational distress
Explore the impact of combat disclosure on intimate partners’ emotional and relationship functioning
Study long-term effects of combat disclosure on relational distress on family functioning
Focus
Air Force
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Although previous research has shown a negative relation between partner support and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity among military service members following deployment, the mediating mechanisms of this effect remain poorly understood. This study examined willingness to disclose deployment- and combat-related experiences as a mediating mechanism underlying the linkage between intimate partner support and PTSD symptom severity in a sample of 76 U.S. Air Force service members deployed to Iraq in a year-long, high-risk mission. Airmen’s reports of overall social support, and partner support specifically, significantly predicted concurrent postdeployment PTSD symptom severity. Subsequent mediation analyses demonstrated that level of disclosure of deployment- and combat-related experiences by service members to their intimate partners accounted for a significant portion of the relation between partner support and postdeployment PTSD symptom severity. The level of Airmen’s disclosure was also inversely related to levels of relationship distress. Implications of these findings for prevention and intervention strategies and for further research are discussed.
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