Experiential avoidance, dyadic interaction and relationship quality in the lives of veterans and their partners

Zamir, O., Gewirtz, A. H., Labella, M., DeGarmo, D. S., & Snyder, J. (2018). Experiential avoidance, dyadic interaction and relationship quality in the lives of veterans and their partners. Journal of Family Issues, 39(5), 1191–1212. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X17698182

Experiential avoidance is the unwillingness to engage with unpleasant feelings, thoughts, and physiological sensations; it also includes taking actions to lessen these experiences. Experiential avoidance may help avoid painful experiences, but it also tends to result in negative consequences (e.g., poorer mental health), which may impact relationships with others. Data were collected from 228 recently deployed male veterans and their partners (married or cohabiting); service members were all activated Guardsmen or Reservists. Researchers assessed whether experiential avoidance was related to poorer couple relationship quality and if couple communication played a role in linking emotional avoidance and couple quality. Findings showed that experiential avoidance is directly associated with relationship quality but that couple communication did not further explain this association, thus highlighting the importance of experiential avoidance (specifically in men) for relationship quality.

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