Telephone Support During Overseas Deployment for Military Spouses
Abstract
Deployment impacts both service member and family. The goal is to help spouses learn ways to manage stress and solve problems related to deployment and reintegration, communication, managing long distance relationships, and other common problems. The study compared telephone support groups to online education sessions for 161 spouses. In the Telephone Support groups, a group leader and participants 12 times over six months to focus on education, skills building and support. Education Only online sessions provided the same education content, without skills building or support. Content included strategies to reduce or eliminate communication difficulties, how to find help; practical concerns; fostering resilience and decreasing stress; fostering relationships while apart, negotiating roles and relationships; changes during deployment; strategies to support the spouse and the service member; and cues to alert spouses when to seek mental health services for the family or themselves.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1047987
Entities
People
- Linda O. Nichols
Organizations
- VA Boston Healthcare System