Publication year
2012
Citation Title
Interpersonal conflict and referrals to counseling among married soldiers following return from deployment.
Journal Name
Military Medicine
Journal Volume
177
Issue Number
10
Page Numbers
1178-1183
DOI
10.7205/milmed-d-12-00008
Summary
The records of married Army Soldiers were examined to consider the correlates of self-reported interpersonal conflict with a spouse, family member, close friend, or co-worker. In addition, Soldiers were asked about their interest in assistance and referrals for services. Soldiers who reported health problems, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol abuse were more likely to report interpersonal conflict. Race and rank were also associated with increased concerns with interpersonal conflict. Many Soldiers were already receiving services or were referred to service programs.
Key Findings
Eighteen percent of Soldiers reported interpersonal conflict concerns.
Black and Latino/Latina Soldiers were more likely to report interpersonal conflict concerns than White Soldiers; junior enlisted officers were most likely to report these concerns.
Soldiers with poorer pre-deployment physical health, PTSD symptoms, depression, and alcohol abuse concerns were more likely to report interpersonal conflict.
Among Soldiers reporting interpersonal conflict, 22% were already receiving services for mental health issues, anger, or social or family conflict; 11% of Soldiers were referred to a service program, such as Military One Source (9%), family support and community services (2%), and chaplain services (1%).
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer classes to Service members and their families to enhance interpersonal communication skills to reduce incidents of interpersonal conflict
Host couples retreats for Service members and their spouses that offer relationship enrichment activities
Disseminate information regarding the resources available to Service members coping with interpersonal conflict and ways to effectively work through interpersonal issues
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support programs that help Service members and their families cope effectively with mental health problems
Encourage routine screening of all Service members for interpersonal conflict issues
Recommend education to service providers working with military families regarding the procedures for reporting interpersonal violence
Methods
Data from Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA), which was conducted between February and December 2008, were utilized for the current study.
The PDHRA is administered three to six months post-deployment.
The current study only included data from married Army Soldiers who returned from an OEF/OIF deployment.
Participants
Data from 20,166 Army Soldiers were examined; 38% were noncommissioned officers, 29% were junior enlisted, 20% were officers, and 14% were senior noncommissioned officers.
The majority of participants were male (92%), White (64%), and between the ages of 25-34 years (49%).
Over half (57%) of the Soldiers reported one OEF/OIF deployment, 30% reported two deployments, and 13% reported three or more deployments.
Limitations
Only one item assessed interpersonal conflict, which may not have captured the diversity of interpersonal violence concerns.
Reasons for referral were not documented; the absence of referral could be due to lack of resources rather than an insufficient response to Soldiers concerns.
Soldiers reports of behavioral health issues may be underestimates due to concerns about career repercussions.
Avenues for Future Research
Utilize a validated measure of interpersonal conflict in order to more fully understand the factors associated with interpersonal conflict concerns
Explore the relationships among interpersonal conflict, mental health problems, and interpersonal violence
Include measures of partners perceptions of interpersonal conflict
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Deployment represents a significant potential strain on military families. The impact of postdeployment stresses may be increased if family coping resources are diminished by returning service members' physical injuries, mental health issues, or substance abuse. This article examines the health and mental health correlates of self-reported concerns regarding interpersonal conflict among married soldiers following return from deployment and the likelihood that soldiers acknowledging such concerns are referred to counseling services. Among 20,166 married Army soldiers completing Post-Deployment Health Reassessments, 18% reported having experienced serious interpersonal conflict with their spouse, family members, close friends, or coworkers. Results indicate that interpersonal conflict was more common among those who reported health problems, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol abuse. Among soldiers reporting interpersonal conflict and not already receiving services, 11% were referred to service. Findings support the need to communicate with soldiers and their spouses about the availability of services following return from deployment and to continue efforts to reduce stigma associated with seeking treatment.
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