The Role of Service Member Mental Health and Marital Satisfaction in Postdeployment Family Reintegration

The postdeployment period is critical for National Guard members readjusting to the family unit. This study sought to determine whether marital satisfaction protects against reintegration difficulties. Army National Guard members (N D 114) who recently returned from a 12-month deployment to Iraq completed mental health, marital satisfaction, and family reintegration assessments. Linear and ordinary least squares regression models were used. Although few service members reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder exceeding clinical cutoff points, marital satisfaction significantly moderated the relationship between service member mental health and family reintegration. These findings highlight the potentially protective role of satisfying and supportive marital relationships. Results have implications for the health of service members and well-being of military families after a combat deployment.