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

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. Resumen Spanish s by Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET) El impacto de experiencias militares y no militares en el matrimonio: Examinando la perspectiva del cónyuge militar. CALIDAD DEL MATRIMONIO EN CÓNYUGE MILITAR. Ha habido investigaciones conflictivas que establecen una asociación directa entre despliegues militares y la calidad marital, particularmente desde la perspectiva del cónyuge militar. En el presente estudio, buscamos extender la investigación pasada examinando la asociación directa entre experiencias militares y no militares y la calidad marital del cónyuge militar usando datos de referencia de 2011–2013 del Estudio de la Familia Cohorte del Milenio, compuesto por una amplia muestra de parejas militares que representan a todas las ramas y componentes del servicio militar de E.E.U.U. Las exp