Relational turbulence among military couples after reunion following deployment
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Knobloch, L. K., McAninch, K. G., Abendschein, B., Ebata, A. T., & Mcglaughlin, P. C. (2016). Relational turbulence among military couples after reunion following deployment. Personal Relationship, 23(4), 742-748. http://doi/10.1111/pere.12148
Abstract Created by REACH:
Reintegration following deployment can be challenging for Service members and their at-home partners.This study examined how both partners' depressive symptoms, uncertainty about the relationship, and disruption of eachother's routines impacted each partners' feelings of how tumultuous their relationship was (i.e., relational turbulence),and assessed how these relationship dynamics changed over the first three months of the reintegration period. Whilemost couples reported low levels of distress during the reintegration period, a portion struggled with changingrelationship dynamics.
Focus:
Couples
Deployment
Mental health
Branch of Service:
Air Force
Army
Marine Corps
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Guard
Active Duty
Subject Affiliation:
Military families
Spouse of service member or veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Authors:
Knobloch, Leanne K., McAninch, Kelly G., Abendschein, Bryan, Ebata, Aaron T., McGlaughlin, Patricia C.
Abstract:
Reintegration following deployment is a pivotal time for returning service members and at-home partners. We test logic derived from the relational turbulence model about depressive symptoms, relational uncertainty, and interference from a partner as predictors of people's appraisals of turmoil during the post-deployment transition. Participants were 118 military couples who completed an online questionnaire once per month for the first 3 months after homecoming. Multilevel models predicting people's appraisals of turmoil revealed (a) actor and partner effects of depressive symptoms, (b) actor effects of relational uncertainty, and (c) actor effects of interference from a partner that were apparent beyond people's appraisals of turmoil during the previous month. These findings advance both theory and practice.
Publisher/Sponsoring Organization:
Wiley-Blackwell
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Author Affiliation:
University of Illinois, LKK
University of Kentucky, KGM
University of Illinois, BA
University of Illinois, ATE
University of Illinois, PCM
Keywords:
deployment (military strategy), mental depression, military personnel, military spouses, military strategy
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary