Publication year
2010
Citation Title
Exploring stress and coping strategies among National Guard spouses during times of deployment: A research note.
Journal Name
Armed Forces & Society
Journal Volume
36
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
545–557
DOI
10.1177/0095327X09344066
Summary
A number of studies have shown that deployment can impact family functioning in Active Duty families; however, less is known about the experiences of National Guard families. This study interviewed nine female spouses of Army National Guard Soldiers in order to understand their stressors and coping strategies. Results indicated that spouses of Army National Guard Soldiers experience challenges that are common to all Service members as well as challenges that are unique to National Guard families.
Key Findings
Participants reported the following common stressors related to their husbands' deployment: unstable emotional and physical state, child care responsibilities, and uncertainty about future military involvement.
Several coping strategies were reported by participants: expressive activities, support from family and friends, religiosity and spirituality, communication technologies, and avoidance of the situation.
Participants reported gaining new awareness in various areas of their lives, including life's priorities, their husbands' roles in the military, world politics, and understanding of other people's situations.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support groups for spouses of National Guard Service members so that they can communicate with and support each other
Develop workshops where military spouses and children can learn skills for new household responsibilities (e.g., repairing household items) during Service members' deployment
Educate military families on helpful communication skills during the deployment cycle
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage training for civilian professionals who work with National Guard families so that they are more aware of the military culture
Recommend professional development for professionals working with National Guard families to better understand the unique stressors that National Guard families have
Continue to promote peer support groups for Service members' families during deployment
Methods
Participants were recruited by flyers, newsletters, and word of mouth.
All participants were interviewed in-person by a female researcher whose husband was also a deployed Army National Guard Soldier; questions were about the spouses' perceptions of deployment on their lives.
Data were organized into categories and themes to examine spouses' stress and coping strategies during time of deployment.
Participants
Participants were nine wives of Army National Guard Soldiers between 21 and 46 years old; the average of participants was not reported.
All participants were White and were married between one to 25 years.
Seven of the participants had husbands who were deployed at the time of interview; the other two participants' husband were not deployed at the time of interview.
Limitations
The sample was small and convenient (i.e., the sample was made up of people who were easy to reach); therefore, it may not represent the Army National Guard spouses population.
Only spouses of Army National Guard Soldiers were included in the study, so caution must be taken to generalize the results to other military branches.
The interviewer's husband was also a deployed Army National Guard Soldier; therefore, the interviewer may not hold a neutral point of view and her perspectives may influence participants' answers.
Avenues for Future Research
Recruit a bigger sample from multiple military branches so that the results can be better generalized
Examine whether spouses' perspectives vary at different stages of the deployment cycle
Examine male military spouses' perspectives about their wives' deployment to explore the potential gender differences
Focus
National Guard
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Studies on active duty military families indicate that deployment disrupts normal functioning of the family. Scholars still, however, lack the necessary knowledge to fully grasp the impact that the current Iraq and Afghanistan wars have had on Army National Guard (ARNG) families who have experienced deployment. A grounded theoretical approach to interviews with ARNG spouses yields insight into how these families are coping with the often-unexpected event of wartime deployment. The authors identify stressors and coping strategies used by these spouses and offer suggestions for future research that will allow scholars to more fully understand the present situation ARNG families are facing.
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