Date
7-22-2025
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc)
Chair
Theodore Croy
Keywords
military spouse, pregnant women with disabilities, anxiety, depression, coping strategies, stress reduction programs
Disciplines
Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
Recommended Citation
Clemons, Faith, "The Impact of Stress Reduction Programs in Reducing Anxiety and Depression in Pregnant Military Spouses with Disabilities" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7241.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7241
Abstract
Pregnant military spouses with disabilities have high levels of anxiety and depression, as these individuals are more exposed to stress due to various health risks and worries during deployments. Health care experiences of pregnant military spouses who are disabled are explored through interviews and surveys to determine if appropriate services reduce anxiety and depression and help with stress. The study encompasses qualitative design, interviewing with eight participants from the Clarksville, Tennessee area, known for its many military families near Fort Campbell. The study targets evidence-based therapies through theoretical frameworks of attachment, social support and stress and coping theory such as mindfulness, CBT, and groups of peers through NVivo coding. According to thematic analysis, based on the biopsychosocial model, the programs helped the spouses, mainly when their visits were frequent and culturally suited. Reports of problems getting the care needed, such as lack of appointments, childcare concerns long wait times were present. Some participants noticed improvements in their ability to cope with emotions and handle stress after participating in the program. These results suggest that there should be more targeted mental health support and ways to reduce stress in military medical units. The findings suggested that military spouses who have disabilities gain a lot from counseling, community engagement and strategies that relieve distress relevant to deployments. Recommendation for further research is to enhance mental health treatment, promote community integration, increase awareness and availability of programs and improve EFMP policy to work toward improving equity and health among military family members.
