Publication year
2008
Citation Title
Using marriage education to strengthen military families: Evaluation of the active military life skills program
Journal Name
Social Work and Christianity
Journal Volume
35
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
287-311
Summary
Exposure to trauma may increase risk for divorce, potentially putting military couples at greater risk. Relationship variables (e.g., satisfaction, hope, commitment, communication) were compared before and after a marriage retreat and two months later among Active Duty Air Force members and their spouses. Relationship factors, including overall satisfaction, generally improved, suggesting marital education and skills training may be beneficial for military couples.
Key Findings
Couples reported that happiness with the relationship and conflict resolution abilities increased from pre-retreat to post-retreat and again from post-retreat to follow-up.
Participants reported increased marital satisfaction and positive communication and decreased negative interactions from pre-retreat to post-retreat; although these changed in the undesired directions from post-retreat to follow-up, follow-up levels remained better than pre-retreat.
Commitment to the relationship increased significantly from pre- to post-retreat.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide military couples with workshops that include relationship education and skill-building
Offer childcare during relationship programs for military couples
Tailor military marital programs for post-deployment to couples’ unique needs (e.g., rebuilding communication, discussing difficult or traumatic events, increasing positive interactions)
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend the development of marital programs with on-going follow-up or booster sessions to continue to renew positive expectations and practice skills
Encourage education for professionals working with military couples about the impacts of stress and trauma on relationships and marriages
Continue to support military programs that address marriage concerns and increase resilience
Methods
U.S. Air Force members and their spouses were recruited via radio, brochures, and spouse and family military groups at a European base to attend a weekend marriage retreat.
Service members and spouses completed surveys of relationship variables (e.g., satisfaction, hope, communication, commitment) before and after the retreat and at a two-month follow-up.
The retreat aimed to teach skills and foster communication to improve overall marriage quality.
Couples’ relationship quality was compared before and after the retreat and two months later.
Participants
Participants included 23 Active Duty Air Force members and their spouses (n = 46, 50% male).
Couples identified as White (76%), Black (11%), Latino (4%), Asian-American (2%), and Multiracial (7%) and were primarily between the ages of 20-40 years old (94%).
Average relationship length was 7.78 years (SD = 5.47), and it was 78% of participants’ first marriage.
Limitations
Couples who agreed to participate may have differed from those who did not, including on levels of marital satisfaction and other relationship variables.
The majority of couples rated relationship commitment high before the retreat, so results may not generalize to military couples with lower levels of commitment.
Whether couples were living apart or together was not measured and may have impacted results.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine the effectiveness of relationship education and skill-building retreats with military couples experiencing higher levels of marital problems and distress
Explore additional variables potentially related to the well-being of military couples’ relationships, including number and length of deployments or mental health status
Investigate whether teaching self-care skills for Service members and spouses in marriage programs enhances improvements in relationship outcomes
Focus
Air Force
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
In addition to challenges all couples face in their relationships, military couples encounter difficult stressors unique to life in the armed services. Marriage education programs have the potential to provide military couples with the tools necessary to build healthy marriages. This exploratory study examines the effectiveness of the Active Military Life Skills Program (AMLS) in improving marital satisfaction, hope for success of and commitment to the relationship, communication and conflict resolution skills, and the ratio of positive to negative interactions. Results of analysis of data gathered from 23 Air Force personnel and their spouses/partners indicates the AMLS program was largely successful in meeting each of these objectives. Data analyses of measures for each program objective, as well as implications for social work practice, are discussed.
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