Making sense of changes in military partners’ post-deployment adjustment concern: Turning points, trajectories, and accounts

Dorrance-Hall, E., Gettings, P., Wilson, S. R., Hintz, E., & Vidal, A. (2023). Making sense of changes in military partners’ post-deployment adjustment concern: Turning points, trajectories, and accounts. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40(11), 3679-3702. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075231187700

Rooted in life course theory, this qualitative study explored how romantic partners’ concern for their Service members (SM) changed over time – specifically, in relation to post-deployment adjustment. 26 partners rated their level of concern for their SM’s adjustment from homecoming to the present, then described and graphed events that changed their concern during that time. The study’s purpose was to (1) identify turning points (i.e., events that increased or decreased the partners’ level of concern) and explore trajectories of concern over time; (2) explore the partners’ accounts of why turning points were impactful; and (3) explain the role of time in the partners’ explanations of their changing post-deployment adjustment concerns. Overall, the partners’ understanding of turning points was varied and complex.

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