Military Marriages: The Aftermath of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Deployments

Assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder-related functional impairment: A review

“…PTSD-related hyperarousal symptoms may also contribute to challenges that Veterans and their partners face when they engage in activities in public places. For example, PTSD-related hypervigilence may lead to Veterans avoiding crowds or prematurely or abruptly leaving social events when their partners are not ready to leave, sitting in certain places (e.g., near an exit or with their backs to the wall) when dining or in public, having problems regulating affect in public, and creating discomfort for their partners [27][28]. PTSD-related hyperarousal may also lead to problems related to driving; partners of Veterans with PTSD often complain of "road rage" and difficulty tolerating aggressive or risky driving, which can lead to frequent arguments [23,24].…”

“…Galovski and Lyons suggested that fear and guilt over violent impulses acted on during combat situations and in the home, and current attempts to control these impulses, may lead the Veteran to avoid certain roles and activities that, in turn, affect the Veteran's overall ability to perform familial responsibilities and may further estrange them from their loved ones [28]. Such withdrawal and avoidance may create other problems in the home because the other parent or partner may struggle with the increased responsibility and burden placed on him or her [27][28].…”

Boundary Ambiguity and Ambivalence in Military Family Reintegration

“…Female spouses, in particular, may be reluctant to relinquish new roles and responsibilities gained over the course of their partner's deployment (Baptist et al, 2011). Couples must also learn how to become interdependent once again (Karakurt, Christiansen, Wadsworth, & Weiss, 2013).…”

“…Faber et al (2008) are among the few researchers thus far to explicitly examine this construct in the course of reintegration (see also Baptist et al, 2011;Huebner et al, 2007). In their longitudinal, qualitative study of Reservists and select family members, Faber and colleagues found that boundary ambiguity was manifested in these families as confusion around the resumption of roles and responsibilities, in the communication about relationships and expectations, and the reserve service member's transition from soldier to civilian status.…”

Relationship Difficulties Among U.K. Military Personnel: Impact of Sociodemographic, Military, and Deployment-Related Factors

“…Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) report that spouses who are supportive protect each other from experiencing high levels of work=family conflict; thus, not receiving enough support from your partner during deployment may increase the likelihood of experiencing relationship difficulties. Frequent contact and sharing of meaningful dialogue helps to maintain positive relationships while deployed (Baptist et al, 2011); however, reduced access to communication means, scarce technology, and operational security may play their part in disrupting communication (Greene, Buckman, Dandeker, & Greenberg, 2010;Hinojosa, Hinojosa, & Hognas, 2012) and therefore the ability to provide support. In the context of recent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, high expectations of the level, availability, and variety of communication media available may have developed among military personnel and their families (Greene et al, 2010).…”