Is unit cohesion a double-edged sword? A moderated mediation model of combat exposure, work stressors, and marital satisfaction
APA Citation:
Frye-Cox, N., Lucier-Greer, M., O’Neal, C. W., & Richardson, E. W. (2024). Is unit cohesion a double-edged sword? A moderated mediation model of combat exposure, work stressors, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075241255391
Focus:
Trauma
Mental health
Couples
Branch of Service:
Army
Military Affiliation:
Active Duty
Subject Affiliation:
Active duty service member
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Methodology:
Cross-Sectional Study
Authors:
Frye-Cox, Nick, Lucier-Greer, Mallory, O’Neal, Catherine Walker, Richardson, Evin Winkleman
Abstract:
Guided by the stress process perspective, this study examined if combat exposure was indirectly associated with marital satisfaction through work performance stress. Additionally, we tested whether unit cohesion served as a moderator of this indirect effect. Data were drawn from 1,122 married Soldiers who participated in the All-Army Study component of the Army STARRS study, a probabilistic sample of Army Soldiers. Indicative of stress proliferation and spillover, our results showed that combat exposure may negatively impact marital satisfaction through work performance stress, but the pathways of this indirect effect varied as a function of unit cohesion. Consistent with the stress buffering hypothesis, unit cohesion buffered the positive association between combat exposure and work performance stress for Soldiers reporting higher levels unit cohesion, such that this association was no longer statistically significant. However, for Soldiers reporting higher levels of unit cohesion, the negative association between work performance stress and martial satisfaction was exacerbated but was not statistically significant for those reporting lower levels of unit cohesion. The results underscore the importance of understanding the contextual nature of relational resources within the stress process framework.
Publication Type:
Article
Keywords:
unit cohesion, combat exposure, work stressors, marital satisfaction