Post-Deployment Parenting in Military Couples: Associations With Service Members' PTSD Symptoms

Severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been linked to parenting impairments in military service members (SMs), but little is known about how SMs' PTSD is related to their partners' parenting. This study evaluated associations of SMs' PTSD symptoms with parenting indices in SMs and their partners, with additional exploratory analyses of how intrapersonal and interpersonal distress might play a role in such associations. Online self-report measures were completed by 128 SMs who scored >27 on the PTSD Checklist (PCL-M) at baseline and their partners at four timepoints over 1.5 years. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling, with timepoints nested within individuals within couples. SMs' PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with decreased parenting alliance and increased inconsistent discipline in SMs and partners, increased harsh parenting in SMs only, and increased supervision in partners only. Couple satisfaction and conflict accounted for PTSD symptoms' association with parenting alliance, and couple conflict accounted for the association with inconsistent discipline. Couple conflict, couple satisfaction, and individual depression accounted for SMs' increased harsh parenting. SM PTSD remained the only predictor of partners' supervision. Limitations include that data were collected from online self-report and from heterosexual Army couples only. Overall, SMs' PTSD symptoms showed associations with parenting in SMs and their partners, with some evidence of compensatory higher supervision by partners.