Relationship maintenance among military couples

Abstract

A burgeoning body of research on the relationship maintenance of military couples over the past two decades suggests the time is right to organize, assimilate, and critique the literature. We conducted a systematic review informed by the integrative model of relationship maintenance that considered issues of intersectionality. Our literature search identified 81 relevant journal articles representing 62 unique samples. With respect to theory, 59.3% of the journal articles employed one or more formal theoretical frameworks. In terms of research design, 88.7% of the studies focused on the U.S. military, 83.9% of the studies recruited convenience samples, 54.8% of the studies utilized quantitative methods, and 30.6% of the studies collected longitudinal data. Among the studies reporting sample demographics, 96.8% of participants were married, 77.2% of participants identified as non-Hispanic White, and only one same-sex relationship was represented. Our narrative synthesis integrated findings about relationship maintenance from studies examining (a) relationship maintenance overtly, (b) communicating to stay connected across the deployment cycle, (c) disclosure and protective buffering, (d) support from a partner, (e) dyadic coping, and (f) caregiving and accommodating a partner’s symptoms. We interpret our results with an eye toward advancing theory, research, and practice.

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

“…In keeping with findings on the importance of emotional support from a partner for both the civilian spouse and the service member (Knobloch et al, 2023), the vast majority of participants in this study described their role in marriage in terms of providing emotional support. Given the distinct experience of gender role reversal in terms of their identities as military civilian spouses, participants may have provided emotional support for their service member wives because that is what is expected of them in that role.…”

Disclosure and concealment in military couples: A dyadic study.

“…The mixed picture of effects in the present study reflects the delicacy and complexity of the subject of disclosure and concealment. In military couples, the decision related to how much to disclose or conceal regarding deployment-related experience often involves multiple considerations and sometimes contradictory motives, such as the need for intimacy versus the need to refrain from expressing vulnerability or protect the partner from distress (Knobloch et al, 2023). If one's deployment involved traumatic experiences, motives to conceal might also include shame/guilt, avoidance of triggers, or fear of being misunderstood or judged (Monson & Fredman, 2012).…”

“…Postdeployment, one of the challenges both partners face is deciding how much to disclose regarding their time apart (Knobloch et al, 2023). Peck and Parcell (2021) referred to possible motives to disclose or avoid disclosure in this context.…”