https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-Brady2020

Brady, J. M., Hammer, L. B., Mohr, C. D., & Bodner, T. E. (2020). Supportive supervisor training improves family relationships among employee and spouse dyads. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 26(1), 31-48. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000264

Supportive supervisor training is designed to help supervisors meet work-related and nonwork-related needs of employees. This longitudinal randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a supportive supervisor training specifically tailored to also equip supervisors with military cultural competence. Supervisors across 16 organizations were randomly assigned to the treatment group (i.e., received training), whereas supervisors across 19 organizations were randomly assigned to the control group (i.e., had yet to receive training). Using a sample of 250 Veteran employees and their partners, this study examined the extent to which supervisor training was associated with improvements in marital quality and positive parenting at baseline, three- and nine-month follow-ups. Further, this study examined Veteran employees’ stress as a potential factor that may alter the associations between supervisor training, marital satisfaction, and positive parenting. Results suggest that a military-tailored supportive supervisor training program can improve Veteran family outcomes, particularly for those who are under higher stress.

https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000264

Couples
Parents
Physical health
Programming
Veterans

Multiple branches

Veteran

Spouse of service member or veteran
Veteran
Other

Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)

Longitudinal Study
Quantitative Study

Brady, Jacquelyn M., Hammer, Leslie B., Mohr, Cynthia D., Bodner, Todd E.

Employee family relationships have been increasingly tied to job outcomes and are known to be a strong predictor of employee health and well-being. As such, taking steps toward uncovering actionable tools organizations can implement to foster improvements in family relationship quality is important and should not be overlooked in occupational health psychology interventions. Supportive supervisor training (SST) targets improving employees’ ability to meet their nonwork needs; however, the focus and discussions of the implications tied to SST have largely excluded marital and parent–child relationships, spouses, and spousal outcomes. Further, mounting evidence suggests contextual factors shape when SST is most meaningful; however, more research is needed to uncover individual-level factors that may facilitate training effects. This study used a cluster-randomized controlled trial design to evaluate a worksite-based SST with a sample of 250 employees (separated military veterans) and their matched spouses. Using an intent-to-treat approach and 2-level random effects models, results demonstrated that the SST promoted couples’ dyadic marital relationship quality 9 months following baseline. Additionally, when employees were under higher levels of baseline stress, couples’ dyadic marital relationship quality and positive parenting both improved following the SST. Thus, an SST is beneficial for family relationships as reported by both employees and spouses, which goes beyond previously demonstrated employee health and well-being benefits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Educational Publishing Foundation

Article
REACH Publication

Department of Psychology, San José State University, JMB
Department of Psychology, Portland State University, LBH
Department of Psychology, Portland State University, CDM
Department of Psychology, Portland State University, TEB