Characterizing spouse/partner depression and alcohol problems over the course of military deployment.
OBJECTIVE
Spouse/partners of military personnel demonstrate elevated levels of distress during military deployments, yet there is insufficient information about courses of adjustment over time. The current study identified trajectories of depression and alcohol use problems and predictors of those trajectories across the deployment cycle.


METHODS
National Guard soldiers (N = 1973) and spouses/intimate partners (N = 1020) completed assessments of risk/protective factors and baseline measures of mental health functioning 2 to 5 months prior to soldiers' 1-year deployments (Time 1) to Kuwait/Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn or Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Partners' mental health was reassessed at 4 months (Time 2) and 8 months (Time 3) after soldiers deployed, and both spouses/partners and soldiers were reassessed 2-3 months postdeployment (Time 4).


RESULTS
Latent class growth modeling of partner depression symptoms over time revealed 4 groups: Resilience (79.9%), Deployment Distress (8.9%), Anticipatory Distress (8.4%), and Post-Deployment Distress (2.7%). Three alcohol misuse trajectories were identified: Resilience (91.3%), Deployment Onset (5.4%), and Deployment Desistance (3.3%). Predeployment predictors of partners' depression symptom trajectories varied by group and included soldier reports of stressors and social support and partner levels of neuroticism, introversion, disconstraint, and reported stressors. Predeployment predictors of alcohol misuse trajectories varied by group, and included soldier levels of alcohol misuse as well as partner neuroticism, disconstraint, and family readiness.


CONCLUSIONS
Delineating and predicting trajectories of partner adjustment can allow for better targeted interventions toward those most at risk for heightened distress or alcohol problems over the deployment cycle. (PsycINFO Database Record
Minneapolis VA Healthcare System.
Christopher R
CR
Erbes
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota.
Mark
M
Kramer
Minneapolis VA Healthcare System.
Paul A
PA
Arbisi
Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, & Leadership, University of Oregon.
David
D
DeGarmo
Minneapolis VA Healthcare System.
Melissa A
0000-0002-4932-305X
MA
Polusny
D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*