Leisure experiences of military couples postdeployment
Research Report:
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Chandler, K. D., Dattilo, J., Taff, B. D., & Moeller, J. (2018). Leisure experiences of military couples postdeployment. Family Relations, 67(5), 630-643. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12321
Focus:
Couples
Deployment
Branch of Service:
Air Force
Army
Marine Corps
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Active Duty
Veteran
Subject Affiliation:
Active duty service member
Guard/Reserve member
Military families
Spouse of service member or veteran
Veteran
Civilian
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Methodology:
Cross-Sectional Study
Qualitative Study
Authors:
Chandler, Kelly D., Dattilo, John, Taff, B. Derrick, Moeller, Jeremy
Abstract:
Objective This qualitative study was designed to explore how leisure is experienced by military couples postdeployment and the extent to which couples use leisure to cope with deployment or promote reintegration. Background To date, many studies have investigated how deployment affects relationship quality and stability. There is a dearth of literature on the leisure experiences of combat veterans and their spouses. Studying couples' leisure experiences may illuminate underlying processes that can explain couple relationship quality postdeployment. Method Ten combat veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) and their spouses/partners participated in separate in-depth, face-to-face interviews about their perceptions of leisure and relationship experiences postdeployment. Results Four themes emerged: (a) deployment changes veterans and couples' leisure, (b) spouses support leisure and reintegration postdeployment, (c) leisure provides insight into military and deployment experiences, and (d) deployment helps couples cultivate appreciation. Conclusion This study provides evidence that everyday couple leisure experiences (e.g., watching movies, doing home projects) may be integral in fostering reintegration postdeployment. Implications Practitioners are encouraged to educate military couples about the potential of free or inexpensive leisure experiences to promote reintegration by providing daily opportunities for positive interactions and creating contexts to share enjoyable moments.
Publisher/Sponsoring Organization:
Wiley Blackwell
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Author Affiliation:
Oregon State University, KDC
The Pennsylvania State University, JD
The Pennsylvania State University, BDT
The Pennsylvania State University, JM
Keywords:
military families, couple relationship quality, leisure
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary
REACH Newsletter: