Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Characterizing spouse/partner depression and alcohol problems over the course of military deployment.
Journal Name
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Journal Volume
85
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
297-308
DOI
10.1037/ccp0000190
Summary
Military couples may face greater distress over the course of a deployment, thus impacting mental health and use of alcohol. This study of 1,973 Army National Guard Soldiers and 1,020 partners examined potential factors contributing to depression and alcohol misuse trajectories over the deployment cycle. Overall, findings revealed that Guard Soldiers and partners had relatively low depression and alcohol misuse; however, factors of partners stress and social support tended to play a significant role in these trajectories over time.
Key Findings
Increased depression experienced by both Guard Soldiers and their partners throughout the deployment was positively related to stressors and anxiety experienced by the partner.
Partners' stress and Soldiers' perceptions of social support at pre-deployment were related to greater depression at post-deployment.
Couples that perceived lower family readiness and greater constraints than resources were more likely to indicate less alcohol misuse at pre-deployment, but an increase of misuse at post-deployment.
Partners who showed higher depression at pre-deployment were more likely to engage in impulsive behavior, including alcohol misuse throughout the deployment.
Implications for Program Leaders
Engage Service members and their partners in classes that address how to effectively cope with family stress throughout the deployment cycle
Provide workshops to help military families learn about available supportive services to manage depression and related mental health concerns
Offer in-person and online deployment support groups for deployed Service members and their families
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage the development and continuation of programs that can promote resilience in Service members and their families
Promote continual distribution of information regarding mental health and substance abuse symptoms at all phases of deployment
Recommend education about how well-being can change throughout the deployment cycle for professionals who work with Service members and their families
Methods
Participants were recruited from pre-deployment training events where Guard Soldiers completed surveys two to five months before deployment (Time 1).
While Guard Soldiers were deployed, partners were mailed follow-up surveys at four months (Time 2) and eight months (Time 3), and both Guard Soldiers and partners completed surveys two to three months post-deployment (Time 4).
Statistical analyses were conducted to examine Guard Soldiers' and partners' mental health and individual and family functioning across the deployment cycle.
Participants
The sample included Army National Guard Soldiers (N=1,973) and their partners (N=1,020) where a majority were married or cohabiting (N=824, 81%).
A majority of the Guard Soldiers were men (92%) and White (88%), with a mean age of 28 years (SD=7.8). Most partners were female (97%) and White (90%), with a mean age of 30 years (SD=8.2).
Most Guard Soldiers were enlisted rank (90%) and 30% previously deployed to OEF/OIF/OND. All Guard Soldiers in the sample were preparing to deploy at Time 1.
Limitations
Study findings cannot be generalized to all Service members across military branches as this study's sample consisted only of National Guard Soldiers and their partners.
Participants that remained in the study for the post-deployment survey (Time 4) were different from those who withdrew; those that remained in the study had higher and more positive family bonding, for example.
There was no comparison group in the study, thus there may be pre-existing mental health differences between the those who deploy and those who do not that were not considered in the analyses.
Avenues for Future Research
Collect a random sample of military couples from multiple military branches to assess depression and alcohol misuse across the deployment cycle
Assess whether there are mental health differences among Soldiers who deploy and those who do not
Examine military couples' perspectives on how deployment may have affected their mental health and well-being
Focus
National Guard
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: Spouse/partners of military personnel demonstrate elevated levels of distress during military deployments, yet there is insufficient information about courses of adjustment over time. The current study identified trajectories of depression and alcohol use problems and predictors of those trajectories across the deployment cycle. Method: National Guard soldiers (N = 1,973) and spouses/intimate partners (N = 1,020)
completed assessments of risk/protective factors and baseline measures of mental health functioning two to five months prior to soldiers’ one-year deployments (Time 1) to Kuwait/Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn or Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Partners’ mental health was reassessed at four months (Time 2) and eight months (Time 3) after soldiers deployed, and both spouses/partners and soldiers were reassessed two to three months post-deployment (Time 4). Results: Latent class growth modeling of partner depression symptoms over time revealed four groups: Resilience (79.9%), Deployment Distress (8.9%), Anticipatory Distress (8.4%), and Post-Deployment Distress (2.7%). Three alcohol misuse trajectories were identified: Resilience (91.3%), Deployment Onset (5.4%), and Deployment Desistance (3.3%). Pre-deployment predictors of partners’ depression symptom trajectories varied by group and included soldier reports of stressors and social support and partner levels of neuroticism, introversion, disconstraint, and reported stressors. Pre-deployment predictors of alcohol misuse trajectories varied by group, and included soldier levels of alcohol misuse as well as partner neuroticism, disconstraint, and family readiness. Conclusions: Delineating and predicting trajectories of partner adjustment can allow for better targeted interventions toward those most at risk for heightened distress or alcohol problems over the deployment cycle.
completed assessments of risk/protective factors and baseline measures of mental health functioning two to five months prior to soldiers’ one-year deployments (Time 1) to Kuwait/Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn or Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Partners’ mental health was reassessed at four months (Time 2) and eight months (Time 3) after soldiers deployed, and both spouses/partners and soldiers were reassessed two to three months post-deployment (Time 4). Results: Latent class growth modeling of partner depression symptoms over time revealed four groups: Resilience (79.9%), Deployment Distress (8.9%), Anticipatory Distress (8.4%), and Post-Deployment Distress (2.7%). Three alcohol misuse trajectories were identified: Resilience (91.3%), Deployment Onset (5.4%), and Deployment Desistance (3.3%). Pre-deployment predictors of partners’ depression symptom trajectories varied by group and included soldier reports of stressors and social support and partner levels of neuroticism, introversion, disconstraint, and reported stressors. Pre-deployment predictors of alcohol misuse trajectories varied by group, and included soldier levels of alcohol misuse as well as partner neuroticism, disconstraint, and family readiness. Conclusions: Delineating and predicting trajectories of partner adjustment can allow for better targeted interventions toward those most at risk for heightened distress or alcohol problems over the deployment cycle.
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