https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-Whisman2020

Whisman, M. A., Salinger, J. M., Labrecque, L., T., Gilmour, A. L., & Snyder, D. K. (2020). Couples in arms: Marital distress, psychopathology, and suicidal ideations in active-duty Army personnel. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129(3), 248-255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/abn0000492

The connection between marital distress and mental health has been well-established in research with civilian samples. Although some research has examined this connection in military populations, these findings may not be representative of the military population as a whole. Additionally, studies often measure symptoms of psychiatric disorders rather than measuring whether a Service member actually meets the criteria for experiencing the disorder. This study examined the associations among marital distress, psychiatric disorder criteria (i.e., major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse/dependency), and suicidal ideation with a sample of 8,699 Soldiers from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Service Members (Army STARRS). Psychiatric disorders and suicidal ideation were more prevalent among Soldiers with greater marital distress.

https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000492

Mental health

Army

Active Duty

Active duty service member

Adulthood (18 yrs & older)

Cross-Sectional Study
Quantitative Study
Secondary Analysis

Whisman, Mark A., Salinger, Julia M., Labrecque, Lindsay T., Gilmour, Anna L., Snyder, Douglas K.

Although distress in intimate relationships such as marriage is positively associated with psychiatric symptoms and disorders and suicidal ideation in probability samples of the civilian population in the United States, relatively little is known regarding these associations in probability samples of active-duty military personnel. The present study evaluated the association between marital distress and past-30-day prevalence of psychiatric disorders (i.e., mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders) and suicidal ideation in a sample of 8,669 married active-duty soldiers in the U.S. Army who participated in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS). Results indicated that marital distress was significantly and positively associated with past-30-day prevalence of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorder, as well as past-30-day prevalence of suicidal ideation. These associations were incremental to shared associations with demographics and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. The findings support continued research on the association between relationship distress and psychopathology in active-duty service personnel, and suggest the potential utility of adapting existing, evidence-based couple interventions for the prevention and treatment of psychopathology or relationship distress, currently in use in veteran and civilian settings, for use with active-duty military personnel and their partners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

American Psychological Association

Article
REACH Publication

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, MAW
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, JMS
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, LTL
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, ALG
Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Texas A&M University, DKS