Deployment and Post-Deployment Predictors of Dyadic Adjustment in Military Couples in Long-Term Relationships

Abstract

Military service members (MSMs) who undergo deployments face many stressors, and this is compounded for those in relationships, for whom deployments can cause strain as the couple navigates life apart. It is important to understand deployment-related factors that increase risk for romantic relationship problems post-deployment. There are indications that stress about life back home, PTSD, and within-unit social support all play a role in romantic relationship outcomes; however, research synthesizing these risk and protective factors has not yet been conducted with MSMs in long-term relationships using longitudinal data. The present study utilized self-report questionnaire data from 84 MSMs in long-term relationships to examine longitudinal predictors and mechanisms of long-term dyadic adjustment. The goal of the study was to investigate a moderated mediation model in which greater homefront stressors were expected to predict lower dyadic adjustment indirectly via higher PTSD avoidance and numbing symptoms, and these associations were expected to be buffered by higher unit support. No significant moderation was found. The trimmed mediation model showed a negative main effect of homefront stress on dyadic adjustment. Contrary to hypotheses, higher avoidance symptoms (but not numbing symptoms) mediated the relationship between greater homefront stress and higher dyadic adjustment. Findings point to the importance of homefront stress as an indicator of later dyadic challenges and suggest that avoidance symptoms may uniquely contribute to MSM-reported dyadic adjustment. Overall, stress experienced during deployment is associated with negative long-term outcomes for MSMs, suggesting the importance of interventions aimed at promoting healthy coping during deployment.