Military spouses with deployed partners are at greater risk of poor perinatal mental health: a scoping review

Abstract

BackgroundPoor mental health in the perinatal period is associated with a number of adverse outcomes for the individual and the wider family. The unique circumstances in which military spouses/partners live may leave them particularly vulnerable to developing perinatal mental health (PMH) problems.MethodsA scoping review was carried out to review the literature pertaining to PMH in military spouses/partners using the methodology outlined by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). Databases searched included EBSCO, Gale Cengage Academic OneFile, ProQuest and SAGE.ResultsThirteen papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria, all from the USA, which looked a PMH or well-being in military spouses. There was a strong focus on spousal deployment as a risk factor for depressive symptoms and psychological stress during the perinatal period. Other risk factors included a lack of social/emotional support and increased family-related stressors. Interventions for pregnant military spouses included those that help them develop internal coping strategies and external social support.ConclusionsUS literature suggests that military spouses are particularly at risk of PMH problems during deployment of their serving partner and highlights the protective nature of social support during this time. Further consideration needs to be made to apply the findings to UK military spouses/partners due to differences in the structure and nature of the UK and US military and healthcare models. Further UK research is needed, which would provide military and healthcare providers with an understanding of the needs of this population allowing effective planning and strategies to be commissioned and implemented.

Exploring the Social Determinants of Mental Health by Race and Ethnicity in Army Wives

“…Healthcare, subsidized food, gas, and financial assistance are all available on military installations; living off base could impact access to these resources. Among military spouses, recent childbirth and prior history of illness are physical factors that have been associated with adverse health [ 27 ].…”

Being a parent of a soldier is a challenging experience – stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of Israeli soldiers

“…Importantly, military service poses significant challenges not only for the enlisted soldiers but also for their families. Over the years, numerous studies, mainly from the US, have extensively explored the impacts of military service on soldier's family, primarily focusing on spouses and children (Cramm et al, 2019;Godier-Mcbard et al, 2019;Senior et al, 2023;Yablonsky et al, 2016). Military families undergo adjustment periods before, during, and after military service (Yablonsky et al, 2016) with heightened risks for mental health and behavioral concerns in both spouses and children (Cramm et al, 2019;Godier-Mcbard et al, 2019;MacDermid Wadsworth et al, 2017).…”

“…Over the years, numerous studies, mainly from the US, have extensively explored the impacts of military service on soldier's family, primarily focusing on spouses and children (Cramm et al, 2019;Godier-Mcbard et al, 2019;Senior et al, 2023;Yablonsky et al, 2016). Military families undergo adjustment periods before, during, and after military service (Yablonsky et al, 2016) with heightened risks for mental health and behavioral concerns in both spouses and children (Cramm et al, 2019;Godier-Mcbard et al, 2019;MacDermid Wadsworth et al, 2017). Limited research on parents of service members suggests that their emotional experiences differ from those of spouses and children (Crow et al, 2016).…”

Psychological and emotional experiences during a military mission: A longitudinal study with soldiers and spouses.

“…These effects occur during the several phases of the mission, from predeployment (it starts when news of deployment is released to the family) to postdeployment (after soldier comes home; Pincus, House, Christenson, & Alder, 2001). Numerous theoretical (Johnson et al, 2007; Riggs & Riggs, 2011) and empirical articles (Bóia et al, 2018; Godier-McBard, Ibbitson, Hooks, & Fossey, 2019; Pexton, Farrants, & Yule, 2018) have reported several factors that may contribute to exposing families to complex stressful situations, such as rigid and/or dysfunctional coping patterns, “young” families experiencing separation for the first time, having children at young ages or with disabilities, and/or pregnant spouses during the mission. Repeated missions (Johnson et al, 2007), specific theaters of operations (war vs. support peace), and long-duration deployment are also factors that may increase the risks of posttraumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, and alcohol consumption problems (Adler & Castro, 2001), and they may cause stress and anxiety in the family (Balderrama-Durbin et al, 2013).…”