Military spouses’ self- and partner-directed minimization in the context of deployment

Marini, C. M., Wadsworth, S. M., Franks, M. M., Wilson, S. R., Topp, D., & Christ, S. L. (2019). Military spouses’ self-and partner-directed minimization in the context of deployment. Military Behavioral Health, 7, 245-256. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2019.1580643

During a deployment, military spouses may withhold their own worries from their partner, a term known as self-directed minimization. They may also downplay their partner’s worries, known as partnerdirected minimization. These efforts at minimization are typically an attempt to create an emotional boundary and protect their service member from compounding stressors. This study examined military spouses’ minimization during deployment in relation to service members’ combat exposure during deployment and both service members’ and spouses’ depressive symptoms throughout the deployment cycle. Data were collected from 154 National Guard couples at three different time points: predeployment, deployment, and reintegration*. Results suggested that when military spouses reported higher levels of depressive symptoms at predeployment, they tended to use self-directed and partner-directed minimization more often during deployments. Further, service members’ combat exposure during deployment was also related to higher levels of military spouses’ selfdirected minimization.

DOI