Deployment is an essential part of military life that involves being away from home for extended periods of time. During this period, partners are left alone to take care of themselves and their families without the support of their spouses or significant others. The separation can be challenging since it is a time of uncertainty and loneliness. Coping and stress management become crucial aspects to help reduce the negative impacts of deployment on family members' lives.
Perceptions of partner reliability affect coping and stress management during deployment. This article discusses how these perceptions influence couples' reactions to deployment stressors.
Perceived partner unreliability during deployment results in anxiety and depression, which negatively impacts stress management. Partners who doubt their partners' dependability may feel anxious about their well-being and future plans. It leads to higher levels of distress, making them more likely to experience depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder.
They have difficulty trusting their partners, leading to increased stress levels. Such individuals find it difficult to cope with the deployment period because they fear their partners may abandon them if things go wrong. The lack of faith in one's partner also affects intimacy and sexuality.
They may avoid intimate moments out of fear that something will happen that could make them lose their partnership.
Couples with high expectations of their partners' loyalty tend to have positive coping strategies such as seeking social support from friends or relatives. These strategies provide emotional comfort and strengthen relationships between couples. Also, they are less likely to develop mental health issues like anxiety and depression due to their confidence in each other's commitment. Further, they can communicate effectively regarding deployment challenges since there is a sense of security in the relationship. As a result, they manage deployment stress by talking about their feelings openly without worrying about the consequences.
Those whose partners are reliable have better stress management skills than those whose partners are not. They take care of themselves physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, reducing stress levels during the deployment period. In addition, this positivity affects their performance at work since they focus on their duties instead of worrying about what happens back home. Conversely, unreliable partnerships lead to poor time management, making it hard for couples to perform optimally at work.
Perceptions of partner reliability affect coping and stress management during deployment. Therefore, it is crucial for military personnel to build trust and loyalty among partners before deployment to minimize negative impacts on family life.
How do perceptions of partner reliability affect coping and stress management during deployment?
When deployed personnel perceive their partners as reliable, they feel more secure and supported, which can lead to improved coping strategies. This is because trust and mutual support are essential for managing stress effectively. Partners who feel that their loved one will be there when needed can cope better with separation anxiety, loneliness, and other challenges associated with deployment.