The buffering effect of relationships on combat exposure, military performance, and mental health of U.S. military soldiers: A vantage point for CFTs

Reed‐Fitzke, K., & Lucier‐Greer, M. (2020). The buffering effect of relationships on combat exposure, military performance, and mental health of U.S. Military soldiers: A vantage point for CFTs. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 46(2), 321-336. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12402

The stress process framework posits that the stress of combat experiences during deployment can wear down service members’ ability to perform well at work, which then puts them at risk for poor mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]). Using data from 5,283 soldiers (ages 18-25), this study examined the associations between combat experiences and mental health outcomes, accounting for military performance as a possible mediating variable (also known as a linking mechanism) that helps explain the connection between these variables. In other words, is combat experience associated with military performance, and, in turn, is military performance associated with mental health outcomes? Further, these associations were examined within the context of relationship disruptions (e.g., divorce, betrayal) and unit cohesion during the past year. Findings suggest that soldiers who reported more combat experiences also reported poorer military performance and, in turn, had poorer mental health outcomes. These associations were more evident among service members dealing with the additional stress of a relationship disruption within the past year (e.g., betrayal, divorce). Additionally, service members who had strong cohesion with their unit members showed fewer negative outcomes.

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