Military deployment is a stressful time for anyone close to the deployed military member. Some who suffer the most effects are spouses of the deployed military personnel. From negative psychological effects to uncertainty about the whereabouts of the deployed spouse, there are many things that can affect the spouse left behind.
Changing Roles
Military spouses face challenges in their changing roles when a spouse is deployed. The spouse left at home finds that there is an increase in household workloads, changing marital roles and changing communication with family roles, according to a local news source, Fay Observer. Household challenges and changing roles had a worse effect on spouses married to full-time military personnel.
Uncertainty
Military wives face many levels of uncertainty when their husbands are deployed, according to the Journal of Family Life. The wife or spouse left behind confronts daily uncertainty of the whereabouts of the deployed spouse, as well as the uncertainty of his well-being. In addition, it may be hard for a military spouse who is left behind to find a stable support system where she lives, since their home is a often temporary one.
Psychological Effects
Negative psychological effects such as depression, anxiety and other mental health issues affect spouses of deployed military personnel. Spouses who are separated for long periods demonstrate more negative psychological well-being symptoms than those spouses who are separated for shorter periods, according to the Journal of Family Life. There are mental health programs available for those suffering. Military OneSource is a hotline that is available for military families suffering from mental health issues.
Marital Dissatisfaction
A 2010 study from the New England Journal of Medicine found marital dissatisfaction with many military couples. The study examined over 200,000 Army soldiers and their spouses. The cause of this was a problem with communication, as well as the actual separation or deployment.
Tags: spouse left, deployed military, deployed spouse, left behind, mental health, military personnel, spouse left behind