The Impact of Military and Nonmilitary Experiences on Marriage: Examining the Military Spouse's Perspective

Abstract

There has been conflicting research regarding direct association between deployments and marital quality, particularly from the military spouse's perspective. In the current study, we sought to extend past research by examining the direct association between both military and nonmilitary experiences and military spouse marital quality using 2011–2013 baseline data from the Millennium Cohort Family Study, a large sample of military couples representing all U.S. service branches and components. Military experiences were assessed using electronic deployment records to capture the number and length of deployments since 2001, and service members reported combat experience and symptoms indicative of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Military spouses reported on service members’ recent time away from home, nonmilitary family stressors, and marital quality. Results of the logistic regression model adjusted for demographic, relationship, and military covariates indicated that most military experiences did not have a direct statistical association with low marital quality except service member PTSD, odds ratio (OR) = 1.54, 95% CI [1.17, 2.04]. Rather, nonmilitary experiences of the military spouse, including lack of social support, OR = 2.68, 95% CI [2.07, 3.47]; caregiver burden, OR = 1.56, 95% CI [1.22, 1.99]; work–family conflict, OR = 1.42, 95% CI [1.18, 1.69]; and financial strain, OR = 1.27, 95% CI [1.03, 1.55], increased odds of low marital quality. Implications of these findings include providing additional supports to address nonmilitary family stressors that are particularly salient to military spouses with an aim to promote marital quality.

Associations of warzone veteran mental health with partner mental health and family functioning: Family Foundations Study

“…In support of the latter possibility and consistent with research across military and civilian populations (e.g., Campbell & Renshaw, 2018; Pflieger et al, 2018), WZV PTSD and depression were both associated with partner reports of relatively lower levels of relationship adjustment, family satisfaction, and family communication. In turn, posthoc analyses revealed significant associations between partner mental health (PTSD, depression, anxiety, and problematic alcohol use) and relationship problems, supporting possible dynamic associations among WZV, partner, and family functioning.…”

Influence of Work and Life Stressors on Marital Quality among Dual and Nondual Military Couples

“…All analyses controlled for the spouse’s history of childhood trauma, demographics of the spouse, and military characteristics of the service member. The spouse’s reported childhood trauma was included because there is evidence that childhood trauma experiences may increase the risk of marital problems (Pflieger et al, 2018; Whisman, 2006). This has also been found within the Family Study.…”

“…This has also been found within the Family Study. Similar to Pflieger et al (2018), childhood trauma was assessed using 8 items from a modified Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire (Felitti et al, 1998). Items within the scale assessed physical/emotional neglect, emotional/physical/sexual abuse, parental domestic violence, and family history of mental illness/alcohol abuse (α = .77).…”

“…Having a healthy marriage can improve overall health and well-being, as well as job satisfaction, all of which contribute to mission readiness among service members (Robles et al, 2014). However, maintaining a healthy marriage may be challenging for military couples as they face a range of stressors from deployment- and training-related separations to frequent moves and unpredictable work hours (Anderson et al, 2011; Karney & Crown, 2007; Lacks et al, 2015; Pflieger, LeardMann, McMaster, Donoho, & Riviere, 2018; Riviere et al, 2012; Smith, 2010). These military life stressors may be a big contributor to the overall divorce rate among military personnel, with service women impacted the most as they had a divorce rate of 6.3% compared with service men at 2.6% (Bushatz, 2019).…”

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

“…In the military, feelings of social isolation can be more common for spouses and service members experiencing frequent military-related geographic relocations away from family and friends (Karney & Crown, 2007). A recent paper using cross-sectional data from the Millennium Cohort Family Study found a significant association of family stressors with spouse marital quality, with social isolation exerting the largest effect on marital quality even after controlling for the mental health of both members of the couple (Pflieger et al, 2018). The present study sought to extend these findings by examining whether family stressors, alone and in combination with other risk factors, predicted marital separation and divorce approximately 3 years after couples’ baseline assessment.…”