Risk and protective factors predictive of marital instability in U.S. military couples.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to predict marital instability from a range of risk and protective factors in a large, representative cohort of military couples participating in the Millennium Cohort Family Study. Online and paper surveys were administered to service members and their spouses in 2011-2013, which captured couples' demographic and background characteristics, family stressors, military experiences, and mental health risk factors as well as protective factors including family communication, and military support and satisfaction. Approximately 3 years later, change in marital status was examined among participants who completed a follow-up survey (n = 6,494 couples). Hierarchical logistic regression models indicated that couples' younger age, lower education, childhood trauma, spouse employment status, mental health, and lower levels of communication contributed significant unique risk for marital instability. Moderation analyses by service member gender and spouse military status revealed that social isolation increased odds of marital instability for couples in which the service member was male but was not evidenced for couples in which the service member was female. Further, combat experience increased odds of marital instability for couples in which the service member was married to a veteran spouse but not for service members married to a dual-military or civilian spouse. Findings from this study can be used to target specific couple risk factors for marital instability and to tailor programs to atrisk subgroups.

Adverse childhood experiences、marital status and depressive symptoms in later life among the middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults : the mediating role of marital status

“…As an important aspect of social participation, marital status plays an important role in subjective well-being.In contrast, negative marital status has been identi ed as a risk factor for mental and somatic impairment [25][26] .Previous studies have shown that the ACEs may even affect marital status [27] .This study found that middle-aged and older adults experiencing two or more ACEs had a higher risk of being unmarried, with four ACEs (family member incarceration, family mental illness, bullying, and unsafe neighborhoods) associated with an increased risk of unmarried status.Previous studies have shown that individuals who experience adverse childhood experiences are more likely to have de cits in personality [28], in which adults with avoidant and ambivalent styles tend to avoid intimate relationships and reject the need for intimacy [29][30] , which supports our ndings.However, unlike a…”

A prospective study of marital distress and mental health symptoms across the deployment cycle.

“…First, it would speak to a thorny question about the developmental course of psychopathology that has been entrenched in the literature for years (Goldfarb & Trudel, 2019; Whisman, Sbarra, & Beach, 2021). Second, it would provide much-needed insight into pathways of risk and resilience for service members across the trajectory of deployment (Pflieger et al, 2022; Whisman et al, 2020). Third, it would inform policy, programs, and practice designed to help support military personnel experiencing marital distress or psychopathology.…”

“…Other aspects of relationship functioning and psychopathology are likely to play a role as well. For example, components of relationship functioning among military couples such as intimate partner aggression (Franz et al, 2020) and marital instability (Pflieger et al, 2022) have been linked with psychopathology. From the other direction, components of psychopathology among military couples such as panic disorder and substance use disorders covary with marital distress (Whisman et al, 2020).…”

Marital status and living apart affect sleep quality in male military personnel: a study of the China’s Navy during COVID-19

“…Moreover, military personnel who are married but living separately are common in the Chinese military community, and separation from spouses may cause plenty of problems, making their marriage at more risk than others ( 29 ). A survey of United States military couples also showed that separation of male service members from their wives increased the odds of marital instability for couples ( 30 ). Having to live apart from one’s spouse due to deployment may have different experiences than those of cohabiting or single individuals, so studying these service members separately from other groups may yield different results.…”