Publication year
2014
Citation Title
The implications of attachment theory for military wives: Effects during a post-deployment period.
Journal Name
The Professional Counselor
Journal Volume
4
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
122-128
DOI
10.15241/kav.4.2.122
Summary
Military deployment can have both a positive and negative impact on military wives. Military wives participated in an online study examining the relationship between length of deployment and their psychological distress. There was a significant association between duration of deployment and psychological distress.
Key Findings
Length of deployment within this sample ranged between 6-16 months, with an average length of nine and a half months.
Length of deployments ranges from zero to 12 month, with an average of six months.
A significant association existed between the duration of the Service member’s deployment and wives’ psychological distress, such that deployments over six months led to significant increases in wives psychological distress.
Implications for Program Leaders
Disseminate information to military spouses and families regarding the potential distress they may experience while Service member is deployed, especially for those facing longer deployments
Offer support groups to help military wives manage the stressors of deployment
Provide post-deployment workshops to Service members and their spouses that offer strategies to reduce distress during reintegration
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend that military leaders consider the impact of length of deployment on military wives’ psychological well-being when making decision about deployment
Continue to support research efforts looking at the impact of deployment on military families and wives
Support programs that offer mental health services to military spouse throughout the deployment cycle
Methods
Emails sent to military advocacy groups and several military networks recruited females currently married to a U.S. Military Service member who had returned from a deployment within the previous 12 months to volunteer for a study.
Participants completed a measure of depression and demographic questions.
Duration of deployment equaled the total number of months the Service member was deployed, from the day he left and to the day he returned.
Participants
Fifty-eight military wives participated.
The average age of participants was 31.2 years (SD = 6.7 years); no race/ethnicity information was provided.
Participants were 57% Army, 22% Air Force, 12% Navy, and 1% Marine Corps; 5% were National Guard and 2% were Reserves.
Limitations
The participants were non-random volunteers and the results may be biased.
The sample is small and appears unrepresentative of typical military wives; results may not generalize.
The variable assessed (deployment length) accounted for a small percentage of the variance in psychological distress; other unmeasured variables may be implicated.
Avenues for Future Research
Evaluate the experiences of non-deployed husbands and their distress levels while their partners are deployed
Examine deployment of more than six months regarding the struggles, challenges, resiliency, and other impacts on military wives and families
Investigate the effectiveness of military programs and services meant to reduce distress among military spouses during deployment
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Past research has indicated the negative and positive impacts of deployment on military wives. Furthermore, research has indicated the need to further understand the different deployment stages, specifically the postdeployment period. The authors examined Bowlby’s and Ainsworth’s attachment theories, specifically separation anxiety occurrence as experienced by stay-behind wives during their husbands’ post-deployment period. Purposive/ volunteer sampling was used to survey 57 military wives currently experiencing the post-deployment period. A linear regression analysis produced a significant positive relationship between duration of deployment and the wife’s psychological distress during the post-deployment period. As deployments increased in duration, specifically to longer than 6 months, the levels of psychological distress significantly increased. Implications for counselors and researchers are addressed.
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