A Qualitative Analysis of Military Couples With High and Low Trauma Symptoms and Relationship Distress Levels

Operational Stress Injuries and the Mental Health and Well‐Being of Veteran Spouses: A Scoping Review

“…Corroborating evidence emerges from a study conducted by Nelson Goff, Crow, Reisbig, and Hamilton (2009). These researchers used the couples adaptation to traumatic stress (CATS) model (Wick & Goff, ) to empirically describe the relationship between trauma exposure in the veteran and secondary trauma in the spouse. Findings suggest that the intensity of the primary trauma predicts greater secondary traumatic stress responses in their female spouses and that avoidance behaviors exacerbate this effect.…”

“…The qualitative component of a larger mixed‐methods study of trauma in 45 OIF and OEF soldiers and their spouses undertaken by Wick and Goff () explored variables included in the CATS model. These included open communication, conflict management, role quality, and role satisfaction, as well as empathy, affirmation, and effort as subthemes of the general theme of support and individual and relational post‐traumatic growth, which can be understood as aspects of a family's capabilities.…”

Pilot Data on the Nature of Trauma Exposure in Military Couples

“…This study was part of a larger mixed methods project examining traumatic stress and relationship dynamics in military/veteran couples completed by the Trauma Research, Education, and Consultation at Kansas State University (TRECK) Team. The research team consisted of three doctoral students and one faculty member who conducted a series of interviews with veteran couples (For additional publications from the larger study, see Nelson Goff et al, 2007Wick & Nelson Goff, 2014). The study sample included 50 couples who were recruited from two cities in the Midwest that neighbor Army posts near the university where the research was conducted.…”

Talk to Me: Disclosure of Past Trauma Experiences to Spouses in Military Couples

“…The participants were part of a community-based, convenience sample, recruited from two cities in Although all participants were Army couples, the researchers were interested in both combat and noncombat trauma experiences reported by both spouses. Thus, the participants were recruited as couples and used as paired data in other research (see Monk & Nelson Goff, 2014;Nelson Goff et al, 2007, 2009, 2015Wick & Nelson Goff, 2014, for other research using the larger sample).…”

“…Oseland et al (2016) have indicated these components are mutually influential components of the couple relationship. The revisions to the CATS Model are based on previous research on couples and trauma since the 2005 model was published (See Campbell & Renshaw, 2011Creech et al, 2013;Henry et al, 2011;Monk & Nelson Goff, 2014;Nelson Goff et al, 2007, 2009, 2015Renshaw, Rodrigues, & Jones, 2008, 2009Taft et al, 2011;Wick & Nelson Goff, 2014). While the CATS Model provides a systemic description of the individual and relational effects of trauma, more research is needed to further understand the relationship between individual and relationship functioning and disclosure of prior trauma experiences, particularly in veteran couples.…”