Abstract
This study examined quality of life among spouses of U.S. Army personnel during Operation Iraqi Freedom. A survey design based on stress and resiliency theory was utilized involving a random sample of spouses residing on a large military installation. Based on length of deployment, the 205 respondents comprised three groups. The study was designed to assess variables associated with parental stress, family stress, family coping, personal coping, well-being, sense of coherence, and quality of life. Comparison tests (ANOVA) were utilized to assess differences among the groups of spouses and structural equation modeling was used to determine the direct, indirect, and total effects of the variables in the model on quality of life for the three groups. The spouses of non-deployed personnel had lower levels of stress and better quality of life those spouses of deployed personnel (p<.001). Whereas the spouses of personnel deployed less than six (6) months experienced lower quality of life due to family stressors and a lower sense of coherence, the quality of life for the spouses of personnel deployed for longer than six (6) months was influenced by wellbeing and greater sense of coherence. The proportion of explained variance was greatest for the group of spouses of personnel deployed for longer than six months (R2=.875). Among the related findings discussed, both groups of deployed spouses experienced more difficulty associated with finances, household management, and child discipline than non-deployed spouses. Spouses of soldiers deployed for less than six months experienced greater stress associated with finances and household management than those spouses of soldiers deployed for longer than six months. All three groups of spouses, regardless of deployment status, perceived their service member spouses as more satisfied with military life than themselves (p<.05). Implications for family stress theory, along with clinical practice related to enhancing wellbeing and quality of life for military families, were discussed.
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