Couples

Research has consistently linked symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with relationship distress in combat veterans and their partners.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms may cause greater relationship distress. Although women represent a growing proportion in the military, research regarding how posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects female Veterans and their male partners is scarce.

National population-based studies show that 40%–50% of physical partner violence victims in a 1-year time period are men.

Both men and women can be victims of partner violence; however, most research has focused on women, and less is known about the health problems of male partner violence victims.

For military couples reunited following deployment, discussing or avoiding topics is a central dimension of communication. This paper theorizes about two predictors of topic avoidance that arise from a lack of confidence in social situations: generalized anxiety and relational uncertainty.

Service members and their romantic partners often encounter communication problems after deployment. In one study, 220 returning Service members talked about their topic avoidance (i.e., topics that they avoided talking about) with their partner after deployment.