Military Spouses’ Perceptions of Suicide in the Military Spouse Community

Abstract

Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Defense shows military spouse suicide to be an imminent concern for the U.S. military. Currently, there is an absence of research in the counseling profession related to suicide prevention and intervention for this population. Therefore, this qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions of military spouses regarding suicide within their community. Ten military spouses were interviewed twice and were asked to provide written responses to follow-up questions. Six main themes emerged: (a) loss of control, (b) loss of identity, (c) fear of seeking mental health services, (d) difficulty accessing mental health services, (e) the military spouse community as a protective factor, and (f) desire for better communication about available mental health resources. Implications for practicing counselors and military leadership in helping to prevent military spouse suicide as well as recommendations for future research regarding ways to support military spouse mental health and prevent suicide in this community are included.

Gender role reversal: Civilian husbands of U.S. military servicewomen as tied‐migrant workers

“…Participants reported feeling separate from both other civilian spouses (a majority of whom are female) and from other men in their communities (a majority of whom are service members) and discussed integration challenges in terms of conceptualizing their own minority status and masculinity. Research on civilian wives of service members indicates the importance of community social support in coping with the difficulties of military life (Borah & Fina, 2017; Cole et al, 2021; Wang et al, 2015), particularly from wives with husbands in the same unit (Rosen & Moghadam, 1990), so the participants' distress around perceived separation between themselves and their military community is unsurprising. Difficulty integrating is somewhat unsurprising given the continued prevalence of traditional masculine values in military culture and the male majority of service members, yet feelings of separateness and isolation seemed to be a novel experience, perhaps due to male privilege in other facets of participants' lives.…”

“…Many of the challenges participants described are relevant for women who are married service members as well, such as adjusting to the military lifestyle (i.e., loss of control and increased uncertainty about the future) and with employment due to PCS (Cole et al, 2021; DaLomba et al, 2021; Harrell et al, 2004). However, the discomfort or distress many men in this study reported due to loss of control and career challenges in their tied‐migrant roles may be unique to the civilian husband experience because of conflicts between societal and family‐of‐origin values around breadwinning and performing a nontraditional gender role (Southwell & MacDermid Wadsworth, 2016).…”

Animal-assisted interventions for military families: a systematic review

“…Additionally, due to the veteran’s periods of absence for military activities and forced relocation for different assignments, spouses of veterans commonly experience isolation. Frequent relocation can also create difficulties for career and identity development ( 12 , 16 ). Periods of transition back to civilian life can be particularly challenging due to the change in communities and separation from the support of other military families on base ( 12 , 16 ).…”

“…Frequent relocation can also create difficulties for career and identity development ( 12 , 16 ). Periods of transition back to civilian life can be particularly challenging due to the change in communities and separation from the support of other military families on base ( 12 , 16 ). Community social support has been shown to be an important protective factor among military families, and spouses can benefit from support to help develop new coping skills and behavior patterns ( 12 , 20 ).…”