Family Cohesion and Relationship Quality in Defence Force Families: Rapid Review

Abstract

Objective: Retention of serving members in the military may be increased through targeted psycho-social support of their families and dependents. This Defence funded study aimed to provide updated evidence on associations between current military service and the well-being of the member’s couple and relationships, to inform policy and practice. We conducted a rapid review of family and couple relationship qualities, comparing current serving samples with civilian, never-serving families. Method: We followed the Cochrane Rapid Review Method, searching publications from 2000. Outcomes were limited to modifiable factors of importance for policy related decision-making. Results: Four search strategies were constructed in Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane CENTRAL. The review, in two parts, identified over 15,000 articles, of which only seven met the review criteria. The dearth of research identified reflected predominant focus on veteran rather than currently serving samples, and absence of comparison to a civilian group. We therefore also examined individual studies that closely approximated the inclusion criteria. Conclusions: The collated evidence offered four main findings: 1) A significant decrease in marital satisfaction for men and women with progressing stages of deployment; 2) Consistently higher prevalence of intimate partner violence for military versus civilian samples, growing with length of deployment, and mediated by histories childhood abuse or neglect; 3) Increased risk of psychological distress and problematic alcohol use by spouses of serving members, and 4) Barriers to engagement in therapeutic programs for military couples. Practice implications for screening and policy implications for targeted prevention efforts are discussed.