Publication year
2012
Citation Title
Coping behaviors used by Army wives during deployment separation and their perceived effectiveness.
Journal Name
Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Journal Volume
24
Issue Number
11
Page Numbers
660-668
DOI
10.1111/j.1745-7599.2012.00766.x
Summary
It is important for military spouses to use effective coping strategies during deployment to avoid mental and physical health problems. Wives of Active Duty Soldiers completed surveys regarding coping strategies used during deployment and the perceived efficacy of those strategies. Overall, the more effective a coping strategy was perceived to be, the more commonly wives used that strategy, with the most commonly used coping strategies being optimism (e.g., thinking positively and maintaining a positive attitude) and seeking support (e.g., family, friends, professionals, religion).
Key Findings
Overall, the more effective wives perceived a coping strategy to be, the more commonly they used that strategy.
The most common coping strategies used during Service members' deployments were optimism and seeking support from others; the most commonly used specific behaviors included trying to keep busy, thinking about the good things in life, and trying to think positively.
Wives percieved thinking about the good things in life, praying or putting trust in God, talking with someone in a similar situation, and exercise or physical activity as the most effective coping strategies.
The coping behaviors used least often were consuming alcohol or medications to feel better, talking to a professional about the problem, and doing something risky or impulsive, while wives perceived taking tensions out on someone else, worrying, or eating or smoking more than usual to be the least effective coping behaviors.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer programs that encourage military spouses to engage in regular physical exercise during deployment
Provide support groups for military spouses to exchange social support during deployment
Engage military spouses in classes that teach useful, effective, healthy coping skills during deployment
Implications for Policy Makers
Support programs that educate military families about the negative short- and long-term consequences of unhealthy coping behaviors (e.g., substance use, unhealthy eating, worrying, risky behaviors) and how to replace those with more positive coping behaviors
Recommend education of professionals working with military families about how to teach and encourage effective coping strategies
Promote programs with affordable, accessible childcare for military families to allow military spouses time to engage in healthy coping behaviors
Methods
Female spouses of deployed Active Duty Soldiers were recruited from Family Readiness Group meetings.
Participants completed measures about use of coping strategies and perceived effectiveness of coping during their Service member's deployment.
The associations between coping strategies and perceived coping effectiveness were examined.
Participants
Participants included 102 female spouses of male Active Duty Soldiers.
On average, wives were 30.46 years of age (SD = 6.36), had 1.5 children, had been married 7.1 years, and had experienced 1.5 previous deployment separations.
Service members' ranks included junior enlisted (20%), noncommissioned officer (33%), chief warrant officer (16%), company grade officer (20%), and field grade officer (12%).
Limitations
The sample was limited to female wives of Active Duty Soldiers only, and results may not generalize to male spouses, spouses of National Guard or Reserve Service members, or other military branches.
Without a pre-test or comparison to a group of Army wives not experiencing deployment, it is unclear whether the coping strategies used were related to coping with deployment.
The statistical reliabilities of several of the subscales were low which may have compromised accurate assessment of the constructs.
Results were based on perceived effectiveness of coping strategies and behaviors, but it is unclear whether perceived effectiveness is related to effectiveness based on actual outcome measures.
Avenues for Future Research
Conduct a similar study with a more representative sample (e.g., spoused of National Guard or Reserve Service members, male spouses, other military branches)
Use non-self-report measures of coping strategies such as other informant reports
Examine military spouses' coping strategies longitudinally to understand how coping changes across the phases of deployment and between times when Service members are and are not deployed
Focus
Army
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to describe the coping behaviors used by Army wives during deployment separation, the perceived effectiveness of the coping behaviors used, and the correlation between the two variables. Data sources: A secondary analysis was conducted to examine coping use and perceived effectiveness, measured by the Jalowiec Coping Scale (JCS), in a sample of 102 Army wives surveyed during deployment separation. Conclusions: The most used coping subscales from the JCS were the optimistic and supportant and the most effective were the supportant and confrontive. The strongest correlations between coping use and effectiveness were found in the supportant subscale, which measures use of support systems (r = 0.77, p < .00), and the confrontive subscale, which includes behaviors of constructive problem solving (r = 0.62, p < .00). The use and effectiveness of individual behaviors are also identified. Implications for practice: Identifying effective and ineffective coping behaviors of spouses of deployed troops can potentially reduce stress and improve well-being. Primary care providers should encourage military spouses to engage in optimistic thinking, seek out spiritual support, talk to others in a similar situation, and participate in physical activity.
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