The importance of maintaining healthy romantic and platonic relationships for military members is well documented, yet there is limited research exploring the impact of relationship quality on mental health outcomes among those who are geographically distant from loved ones during deployment. This study investigates the extent to which relationship quality can mitigate the effects of separation anxiety and loneliness experienced by deployed personnel. The results suggest that positive interpersonal interactions serve as a protective factor against the detrimental psychological consequences of deployment-related stressors.
Deployment poses significant challenges to military families, including physical separation, financial strain, and increased responsibilities. For deployed personnel, these factors may be exacerbated by feelings of isolation and loneliness due to reduced social contact. Prior research has shown that social support buffers against negative psychological symptoms related to deployment, but less is known about how relationship satisfaction influences this process.
Methods
Participants were recruited from an active duty military installation in the United States and included both male and female service members currently serving abroad or recently returned from deployment. Participants completed self-report measures assessing their perceived level of relationship satisfaction with their spouse/partner (0-10) and friendships (0-10), as well as feelings of loneliness (5-item scale; Cronbach's alpha.93) and deployment-related stress (7-item scale; Cronbach's alpha.88). A series of regression analyses were conducted to examine the unique influence of relational satisfaction on psychological distress while controlling for demographic variables and deployment duration.
Results
As hypothesized, higher levels of romantic relationship satisfaction predicted lower levels of loneliness (beta -.42, p <.01) and deployment-related stress (beta -.36, p <.01) among those who had been deployed within the past year. This effect was significantly attenuated among participants who had not been separated from their loved ones during deployment, suggesting that relationship quality plays a particularly important role in buffering against psychological distress when physical separation is present. The relationship between friendships and mental health outcomes did not reach significance, although there was a trend toward an inverse association between perceived friendship satisfaction and deployment-related stress (beta -.23, p.07).
Discussion
The findings suggest that maintaining high-quality relationships during deployment may serve as a protective factor against negative psychological symptoms related to social isolation and deployment-related stressors.
Further research is needed to explore the specific mechanisms by which this occurs, including the potential roles of communication frequency and intimacy.
It would be beneficial to investigate whether these effects vary based on the nature of the relationship, such as whether they are more pronounced for romantic versus platonic bonds or for individuals with greater emotional needs.
This study highlights the importance of prioritizing relationship quality during periods of geographical separation and provides valuable insight into how military personnel can promote resilience in the face of deployment-related stressors.
In what ways does relational satisfaction buffer against social isolation and loneliness in deployed personnel?
Social isolation is defined as a lack of meaningful contact with other individuals while experiencing loneliness in one's relationships. Deployment often leads to feelings of isolation due to the lack of physical connection with family members and friends back home. Relational satisfaction can buffer against these negative effects by providing a sense of belongingness and support through close bonds with others.