Operational stress injuries and the mental health and well-being of veteran spouses: A scoping review

Norris, D., Eichler, M., Cramm, H., Tam‐Seto, L., & Smith‐Evans, K. (2018). Operational stress injuries and the mental health and well‐being of veteran spouses: A scoping review. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(3), 657-671. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12283

Operational stress injuries (OSIs) are injuries in service members resulting from exposure to stressful events, including physical injuries or mental health disorders (e.g., traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder). The family adjustment and adaptation response (FAAR) model is a framework that conceptualizes how families are influenced by demands (i.e., stressful life events); it also accounts for the different capabilities families utilize (i.e., strengths) and meanings families make (i.e., attitudes towards stressors, view of the world, etc.) to adjust and adapt (i.e., overcome stress). This article reviews the literature (144 articles) on the association between service members’ OSIs and the well-being of their spouses. Authors organized results using the FAAR model structure, highlighting demands, capabilities, and meanings related to service members’ OSIs and spouse outcomes. Findings suggest that OSIs tend to adversely affect spouses’ mental health and military couples’ relationships. However, service members and spouses who draw on strengths, such as empathy or problem-solving skills, typically adapt to the demands OSIs place on families.

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