title: Informal caregiving and intimate relationships: the experiences of spouses of UK military personnel.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently, there is no research available on the experiences of spouses providing informal care to wounded, injured or sick (WIS) UK military personnel. The aim of this study was to fill this gap by investigating the relationship experiences of non-military partners caring for WIS UK military personnel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spouses of WIS military personnel (n=25) completed telephone interviews with the research team. The data were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The transcripts were cross-coded and checked for inter-rater reliability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six major themes were identified: (1) communication between couples, (2) adverse family environment, (3) reintegration, (4) intimacy, (5) financial uncertainty and (6) transition from partner to caregiver.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Partners caring for injured/ill military personnel appear to be at risk of experiencing personal distress caused by impaired relationship functioning, which may lead to diminished physical and mental well-being. Partners of WIS military personnel experience significant levels of distress and burden associated with caregiving in the form of arguments with the military partner, problems in reintegration and a lack of physical and emotional intimacy.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Military Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Gursimran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thandi
authors.affiliation: Health Services and Population Research, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oram
authors.affiliation: King's Centre for Military Health Research, London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verey
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Military Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Military Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Fear
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers; D003142:Communication; D054541:Family Conflict; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D066067:Military Family; D012380:Role; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Caregiver burden; Informal caregiver; Informal caregiving; Injured personnel; UK military; military