Publication year
2015
Citation Title
His and hers: The interface of military couples' biological, psychological, and relational health.
Journal Name
Contemporary Family Therapy
Journal Volume
37
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
316-328
DOI
10.1007/s10591-015-9344-8
Summary
Couples comprised of military husbands and civilian wives completed questionnaires about physical pain, mental health, and relationship functioning at a military medical clinic. In addition, heart rate variability was assessed to measure physiological stress. Wives reported higher levels of depression and distress compared to their husbands. Higher levels of pain and more severe depression were related to lower marital quality.
Key Findings
Husbands who reported higher levels of pain reported lower marital quality.
Wives reported lower marital quality when their husbands had more severe depression and greater physical pain.
Wives reported significantly higher levels of depression than their military husbands.
Wives who reported more severe depression reported lower marital quality.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide classes for military couples about how they can effectively cope with stress as a couple
Develop curricula that addresses how depression and pain in one member can impact everyone in the family
Implement support groups for couples in which one or both members are experiencing pain or depression
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend practitioners consider the health and well-being of both members of military couples in their screenings
Support interdisciplinary collaborations between medical and behavioral health professionals in serving couples and families
Continue to support programs that provide holistic care for Service members and their families who are managing depression and relationship problems
Methods
Participants were recruited through a military family medicine clinic that primarly provides care for Active Duty and retired Air Force members.
A subset of data from a larger study examining which factors that influence couple's marital health was utilized for the current study.
Participants included Active Duty, Reserve, or retired Service members currently married to a civilian partner.
Participants
The sample included 75 couples.
The average age of husbands was 36 years (SD = 10.1), while the average age of wives was 35 years (SD = 10.0).
The majority of husbands (79%) and wives (69%) were White.
Rank ranged from Airman First Class E-3 to Captain, with most Service members being ranked E-6.
Limitations
Data were cross-sectional, and therefore causality cannot be inferred.
The relatively small sample size may have limited the ability to detect significant associations.
A convenience sample was recruited, so results may not generalize to all military couples.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine other relevant variables, such as number of deployments, length of time in the military, rank, and length of time married
Replicate the study with a more diverse sample (e.g., female Service members and their partners, same-gender dyads)
Employ observational methods to examine communication within military couples
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Serving in the military has the capacity to influence military personnel, civilian spouses, and marriages in unique ways. The purpose of the present study was to provide dyadic insight into the interface between biological, psychological, and relational health factors for military couples. Couples were recruited through a military medical center (N = 75) in the United States and both partners were assessed on several measures of biopsychorelational health. Actor-partner interdependence models were used to predict marital quality and satisfaction in relation to each partner’s experience with distress, symptoms of depression, and heart rate variability. Results indicated that husbands’ pain predicted husbands’ and wives’ positive marital quality. Husbands’ and wives’ symptoms of depression also influenced wives’ negative marital quality. Recommendations toward the need for relational assessments and routine screenings for both partners, as well as implementation of an integrated care model are discussed.
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