Conflict in Maritally Distressed Military Couples

Military couples, because of their lifestyles, may have unique marital stressors. This study investigated whether distressed military couples, compared to distressed civilian couples, are at greater risk for specific marital problems. Prior to marital therapy, 30 military and 30 civilian couples completed a marital satisfaction assessment packet containing the Areas of Change Questionnaire, the Marital Adjustment Scale, and the Marital Status Inventory. Results indicated same-sex differences across groups, and cross-sex differences within groups. Most importantly, military wives were more likely to be physically abused than civilian wives, and they more often requested that their husbands drink less, work late less, and express more emotion. Military men were less encouraging of their wives having nonsexual outside relationships.