Publication year
2012
Citation Title
Relational coping during deployment: Managing communication and connection in relationships.
Journal Name
Personal Relationships
Journal Volume
20
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
568-586
DOI
10.1111/pere.12000
Summary
Interviews with female spouses or fianceés of deployed male Service members were conducted to examine relational coping during spousal deployment. The women reported overwhelmingly positive reports of their relationships, and identified mediated communication via technology and open communication as key strategies for coping during spousal deployment.
Key Findings
Mediated communication (via technology) allowed couples to conduct activities together, such as playing games; however, some women valued letter writing as a source of communication and a means of coping with the distance.
The women reported that talking with their partners through different mediated channels allowed them to keep positive aspects of the relationship intact.
Spouses reported that at times, they restricted sharing everything to protect themselves and/or their husbands; however, most valued communicating about everything which they saw as important to maintaining the relationship.
Implications for Program Leaders
Educate military couples regarding strategies to improve communication and minimize struggles while a partner is deployed
Offer pre-deployment workshops for spouses and Service members to help them find patterns of communication that support effective coping and work best for their relationships
Provide concrete information regarding the impact of communication during deployment on marital relationship quality
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support educational programs intended to identify and normalize a variety of communication patterns utilized during deployment
Continue to support services that provide a variety of communication platforms for deployed Service members
Recommend education for professionals working with military couples regarding communication patterns during deployment
Methods
Online and organizational outreach and snowball sampling were used to recruit female spouses and fianceés of deployed military Service members.
Semi-structured Individual interviews were conducted either face to face or over the phone.
Participants had to be 18 years of age or older and currently living in the U.S. while their partners was deployed to combat (e.g., Afghanistan and Iraq) or non-combat zones (e.g., Korea).
Participants
Twenty-six females with male partners currently serving in the Army, Air Force or Marines were included.
Partners were deployed to Iraq (54%), Afghanistan (23%), Korea (12%), Kuwait (4%) or multiple or undisclosed locations (8%); 38% first deployment, 23% second, 27% third.
The majority of participants were White (81%), with an average age of 27.42 years.
Limitations
The sample was small and limited to female heterosexual partners of military Servicemen which may limit generalizability.
This study did not make comparisons across different time points or longitudinally, limiting what can be garnered from the results.
Demographic data and information on the specific interview questions are missing, reducing the validity of results.
Avenues for Future Research
Conduct longitudinal research in an effort to further understanding the effectiveness of the different relational coping and communication patterns utilized during deployment
Examine relational coping strategies during spousal deployment with male spouses or fiancés of deployed female Service members
Explore how communicaiton during deployment influences Service members effectivness on the job
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
Wartime deployment involves prolonged separation and creates uncertainty, fear, and disorganization in families (M. J. Peebles-Kleiger & J. H. Kleiger, 1994). This study examined how military wives/fiancées reported coping with the demands they associated with spousal deployment. Twenty-six in-depth interviews were conducted with wives and fiancées whose partners were currently deployed. Through qualitative analysis, 2 main coping themes emerged: (a) maintaining a mediated interpersonal connection and (b) choosing open versus restricted communication. Further analyses revealed that the former theme promoted 2 relationship functions (e.g., intimacy and positivity, confronting realities and fears) and the latter 4 functions (e.g., closeness, smooth reunion, outlet, and protection). On the basis of these coping strategies and functions, a conceptual framework for understanding relational coping communication patterns is proposed. Themes, practical applications, and theoretical implications are discussed.
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