Abstract
This study draws on the emotional cycle of deployment model (Pincus, House, Christenson, & Adler, 2001) to consider how the valence of communication between military personnel and at-home partners during deployment predicts their generalized anxiety upon reunion. Online survey data were collected from 555 military couples (N = 1,110 individuals) once per month for 8 consecutive months beginning at homecoming. Dyadic growth curve modeling results indicated that people's anxiety declined across the transition. For at-home partners, constructive communication during deployment predicted a steeper decline in anxiety over time. For both returning service members and at-home partners, destructive communication during deployment predicted more anxiety upon reunion but a steeper decline in anxiety over time. Results were robust beyond the frequency of communication during deployment and a host of individual, relational, and military variables. These findings advance the emotional cycle of deployment model, highlight the importance of the valence of communication during deployment, and illuminate how the effects of communication during deployment can endure after military couples are reunited.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 12-21 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Family Psychology |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1 2018 |
Funding
This study was supported by Grant DA030114 to Abigail H. Gewirtz from the National Institute of Drug Abuse’s Prevention Research Branch. Ideas presented in the manuscript were presented at the Society for Prevention Research 2016 Annual Meeting, May 31 to June 3, 2016, San Francisco, CA.
Keywords
- Anxiety
- Communication
- Deployment
- Military couples
- Reunion after deployment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology