Financial Boundary Ambiguity Among Military Spouses

Military spouses are an understudied population with respect to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Due to the unique demands of service members’ jobs, military couples are documented to experience particular individual, couple, and family-level risk factors that may lead to IPV perpetration. Using the frustration-aggression hypothesis and considering the possibility of mutual violence, we examined (a) the direct effects of stressful events, marital discord, and work–family conflict on IPV perpetration among military spouses and (b) the indirect effect of anger arousal between stressful events, marital discord, and work–family conflict on IPV perpetration. This study is a secondary analysis of data drawn from a survey of army spouses conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in 2012. The sample consists of 314 female spouses of active-duty members (white 75%, enlisted 80%). After controlling for covariates (including spouse race, rank, household size, age, living distance from military installation), the direct effects of marital discord and anger on IPV perpetration were statistically significant. Also, the direct effects of marital discord and work–family conflict on anger were significant. The path model demonstrated that the indirect effects of marital discord and work–family conflict on IPV perpetration via anger were significant. Finally, most physical and verbal violence was reported to occur in the form of mutual violence with their partners. Study findings suggest that the pathway of risk factors impacting IPV might differ depending on the sources of stress. The Family Advocacy Program, military social work practitioners, and other behavioral health providers should consider domains of risk and provide support to military spouses that is specifically tailored to these risk factors. Furthermore, considering the mediating role of anger arousal in the relationship between marital discord, work–family conflict and IPV, programs to address anger might be helpful to reduce IPV among military spouse perpetrators.

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Traumatized Syrian Refugees with Ambiguous Loss: Predictors of Mental Distress

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18083865 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 3865

Author(s):

Anna Renner ◽

David Jäckle ◽

Michaela Nagl ◽

Anna Plexnies ◽

Susanne Röhr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Ambiguous Loss ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Syrian Refugees ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Prolonged Grief ◽

Boundary Ambiguity ◽

Stress Symptoms ◽

Post Traumatic

Refugees from war zones often have missing significant others. A loss without confirmation is described as an ambiguous loss. This physical absence with simultaneous mental persistence can be accompanied by economic, social or legal problems, boundary ambiguity (i.e., uncertainty about who belongs to the family system), and can have a negative impact on mental health. The aim of this study was to identify sociodemographic and loss-related predictors for prolonged grief, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and somatization in treatment-seeking Syrian refugees with post-traumatic stress symptoms in Germany experiencing ambiguous loss. For the present study, data were based on the treatment-seeking baseline sample of the “Sanadak” randomized-controlled trial, analyzing a subsample of 47 Syrian refugees with post-traumatic stress symptoms in Germany experiencing ambiguous loss. Sociodemographic and loss-related questions were applied, along with standardized instruments for symptoms of prolonged grief (ICG), anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), PTSD (PDS-5) and somatization (PHQ-15). Linear regression models were used to predict mental health outcomes. Having lost a close family member and higher boundary ambiguity showed a statistically significant association with higher severity in prolonged grief. The overall model for somatization reached statistical significance, while no predictor independently did. Boundary ambiguity showed a statistically significant positive association with depression, while the overall model showed no statistically significant associations. Boundary ambiguity and missing family members seemed to be important predictors for prolonged grief. These findings support the importance of reunification programs and suggest an inclusion of the topic into psychosocial support structures, e.g., including psychoeducational elements on boundary ambiguity in support groups for traumatized individuals and families experiencing ambiguous loss. Further research is needed for a more detailed understanding of the impact of ambiguous loss on refugee populations.

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Risk Factors for Postpartum Depression in Active Duty Women

Military Medicine ◽

10.1093/milmed/usab161 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Valencia Garcia ◽

Eric Meyer ◽

Catherine Witkop

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Postpartum Depression ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Technical Information ◽

Active Duty ◽

Military Spouses ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Medical Subject Headings ◽

Complication Risk ◽

Screening And Prevention

ABSTRACT Introduction Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common perinatal complication. Risk factors previously found to correlate with PPD in civilians include prenatal depression, childcare stress, limited social support, difficult infant temperament, and maternity blues. Previously identified risk factors in military spouses include spouse deployment/redeployment cycles. It is unclear if these previously identified risk factors are also a risk factor for AD women or if the additional stressors associated with being on active duty (AD) are risk factors for PPD. The purpose of this review is to determine if civilian risk factors have been found to put AD women at risk for PPD and to identify unique risk factors for PPD in AD women. Materials and Methods A scoping literature review was performed using PubMed, Defense Technical Information Center, and PsychINFO. The searches were conducted using relevant medical subject headings and keywords. The inclusion criteria included articles published since 1948 (the year women were legally allowed to join the military) that reference risk factors for postpartum/peripartum depression in AD women serving in the U.S. military. The following exclusion criteria were also applied: in a language other than English, opinion papers, and/or not published in a peer-reviewed journal. Articles meeting criteria were evaluated and mapped to stressors previously identified in the literature for civilian and military spouses with PPD with novel stressors identified as mapping outside this framework. Results Only two articles met the inclusion criteria. The first study included 87 AD women. The second study, a cohort study between 2001 and 2008, included 1660 AD women. Unique risk factors identified in AD women include previous deployments, serving in the Army, smoking status, alcohol use, and low self-esteem. Conclusions Few studies have investigated the risk factors for PPD in AD women. It appears that AD women share many risk factors, or variants of those risk factors, for PPD as their civilian and AD spouse counterparts, but there are also unique risks to consider. More work is needed to improve screening and prevention efforts.

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Military spouses with deployed partners are at greater risk of poor perinatal mental health: a scoping review

Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps ◽

10.1136/jramc-2018-001069 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 165 (5) ◽

pp. 363-370 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lauren Rose Godier-McBard ◽

L Ibbitson ◽

C Hooks ◽

M Fossey

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Well Being ◽

Perinatal Period ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

Military Spouses ◽

Perinatal Mental Health

BackgroundPoor mental health in the perinatal period is associated with a number of adverse outcomes for the individual and the wider family. The unique circumstances in which military spouses/partners live may leave them particularly vulnerable to developing perinatal mental health (PMH) problems.MethodsA scoping review was carried out to review the literature pertaining to PMH in military spouses/partners using the methodology outlined by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). Databases searched included EBSCO, Gale Cengage Academic OneFile, ProQuest and SAGE.ResultsThirteen papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria, all from the USA, which looked a PMH or well-being in military spouses. There was a strong focus on spousal deployment as a risk factor for depressive symptoms and psychological stress during the perinatal period. Other risk factors included a lack of social/emotional support and increased family-related stressors. Interventions for pregnant military spouses included those that help them develop internal coping strategies and external social support.ConclusionsUS literature suggests that military spouses are particularly at risk of PMH problems during deployment of their serving partner and highlights the protective nature of social support during this time. Further consideration needs to be made to apply the findings to UK military spouses/partners due to differences in the structure and nature of the UK and US military and healthcare models. Further UK research is needed, which would provide military and healthcare providers with an understanding of the needs of this population allowing effective planning and strategies to be commissioned and implemented.

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Family Boundary Ambiguity: A 30-Year Review of Theory, Research, and Measurement

Family Relations ◽

10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00453.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 56 (2) ◽

pp. 210-230 ◽

Cited By ~ 68

Author(s):

Jason S. Carroll ◽

Chad D. Olson ◽

Nicolle Buckmiller

Keyword(s):

Boundary Ambiguity ◽

Theory Research ◽

Family Boundary Ambiguity

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