Date

2-29-2024

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Kathleen Andrews

Keywords

PTSD, deployment, coping, military partner, negative effects, biblical beliefs

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Several military families experience trauma due to combat deployments and the methods they use to cope with those events can vary widely. Most research about military families is quantitative and focuses on the mental health of the service member who is directly affected by combat exposure. This study explored how military families describe the negative effects of deployment on them and how biblical faith helped them cope with those negative effects. This qualitative case study used a sample size of 14 military partners, with or without children who have experienced at least one combat deployment during the partner's time in service. Data was then collected from military partners to better understand the negative effects of combat deployment and what factors helped ease those negative effects. The themes included creating a distraction, reintegration, mental health changes, parenting changes, coping methods, hope, pressed into their faith, and creating a support network. Results showed that having a Christian belief system helped with coping during a combat deployment in a majority of the study’s participants, the majority of participants experienced some degree of negative mental health changes, and the majority of participants experienced relationship difficulties during the deployment. Implications from this study include churches becoming aware of the high stress that military partners are under and being able to offer them ministry.

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