2003-2009 marital functioning trends among U.S. enlisted soldiers following combat deployments.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined 2003-2009 trends in three marital functioning indicators: marital quality, infidelity, and separation/divorce intent, and in marital dissolution rates among U.S. soldiers. METHODS: Marital functioning trends were examined with cross-sectional postdeployment sample data collected under the Land Combat Study from married, male, enlisted soldiers who had deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan (n = 5,928). Marital dissolution rates were examined with population data (n = 1,895,571). The relationships between time (measured by year) and all study variables were analyzed with chi2 tests of association, analysis of variance, and logistic regression analyses adjusting for combat exposure, mental and physical health, and demographic variables. RESULTS: Marital quality has declined, and reports of past-year infidelity and separation/divorce intent have increased between 2003 and 2009. However, no increases were observed in marital dissolution rates. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that more proximal indicators of marital functioning such as decreased marital quality, infidelity, and separation/divorce intent may better illustrate the strain that increased deployment tempo exerts on marital relationships. The findings provide a better understanding of how Army marriages have been affected by the wars, and suggest that further inquiry is needed on military marriages.

Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration 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.

Sleep leadership in the army: A group randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: Examine impact of training military leaders in sleep health on leaders and unit members. DESIGN: Following a baseline survey, two-person platoon leadership teams were randomly assigned by company to a training or waitlist control condition. After training, leadership teams completed a post-training survey. Six weeks later, leaders and unit members completed a final survey. SETTING: Classroom-style areas on a US military base. PARTICIPANTS: US soldiers (76 leaders and 448 unit members) from 39 platoons across 14 companies in a brigade combat team. INTERVENTION: One-hour training in sleep leadership. MEASUREMENTS: Leaders were surveyed about sleep knowledge, sleep attitudes, sleep training, sleep quantity, sleep quality and sleep problems. Unit members were surveyed about sleep leadership behaviors, sleep hours, sleep quality and sleep problems. RESULTS: Leaders rated the training highly and most knowledge and some attitudes about sleep improved from the baseline to post-training survey. Fewer leaders in the training condition reported sleep problems at follow-up than those in the waitlist control condition; there were no differences in sleep hours or sleep quality. More unit members with leaders in the training condition reported that their leaders engaged in sleep leadership behaviors at least sometimes and reported sleeping at least 7 hours/24 hours period than did unit members in the waitlist control condition; sleep quality and sleep problems did not differ by condition. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest a simple training intervention targeting leaders may be able to shift sleep health and the cultural perspective on sleep across an organization.

Association between cumulative risk and protective factors with mental distress among female military spouses.

OBJECTIVE: Guided by a resilience framework, this study examines the accumulation of risk and protective factors, as well as the potential buffering effects of protective factors on mental distress among female military spouses. BACKGROUND: Most research with this population has focused on individual risk factors affecting military spouses. Less frequently have the effects of cumulative risk, risk factors not specifically associated with military service, or protective factors been examined, though there is evidence for their importance. METHOD: This study used secondary survey data from 334 female Army spouses collected in 2012 as part of the Land Combat Study 2. Cumulative risk and protective factor scores as well as scores within risk (intrapersonal, family, and military-specific) and protective (individual and environmental) factor domains were calculated. Four structural equation models were run to examine main and interaction effects on mental distress, a latent variable representing depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms. RESULTS: In cumulative risk and protective factor models, cumulative risk was directly, positively associated with mental distress. This relationship was moderated by cumulative protection. In domain-specific models, only family risk was directly associated with mental distress. This relationship was moderated by environmental protective factors. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate mental distress among military spouses is associated with exposure to cumulative risk and attenuated by the presence of certain domains of protective factors. Family risk factors including marital distress and work-family conflict may be particularly pernicious stressors, but informal and structural supports may be important targets for prevention and intervention efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Leader provided purpose: Military leadership behavior and its association with suicidal ideation.

Suicide in U.S. Army Soldiers is of major concern as it is estimated that over 100 Soldiers die by suicide each year. Examining risk and protective factors is essential to develop both an understanding of Soldier suicide as well as inform systemic interventions to reduce suicide. One potential systemic approach is to embed preventive mechanisms within the structure of the military rather than the typical administration of primary intervention through mandatory training. To examine potential mechanisms of leader-based interventions, several leadership behaviors were assessed in a cross-sectional sample of n = 1,096 active duty Soldiers. Soldiers completed self-report measures of interpersonal predictors of suicide, suicidal ideation (SI), leadership behaviors, and unit cohesion. Logistic regression was used to identify leadership behaviors related to SI. Only the leader behavior attempting to foster a sense of purpose predicted SI. Leader provided purpose (LPP) was then entered into indirect effect analyses to evaluate the mechanisms of this relationship. Analyses revealed that LPP predicted SI through unit cohesion, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness. Results demonstrate that specific aspects of military leadership such as fostering Soldier purpose may enhance resilience and reduce risk for SI.