Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Alethea Baker

Abstract

This phenomenological study aims to understand how post-deployment reintegration impacted the quality of life, functionality, adjustment, and levels of distress among military spouses. Additionally, this study analyzed data collected from 11 individual military spouse responses to gain firsthand insight into the challenges of post-deployment reintegration and the resiliency factors that influence stability. While extensive research existed on the challenges associated with the hardships of physical distance and absence, there was limited research on the impact of post-deployment reintegration on the overall quality of life of a military spouse. Three theories explored the extremely individualized experiences of military spouses’ post-deployment reintegration. They were the learned resourcefulness theory, the transactional theory, and the integrative quality of life theory. From the thematic analysis, 23 themes emerged, five major and 18 minor themes that addressed the four research questions. ATLAS.ti 9 was critical in determining the hierarchy of themes upon coding and analyzing the collected interview data. The analysis results centered around the findings of the military spouses experiencing disruption to their normal routines. As a result, the military spouses experienced increased anxiety and viewed themselves as single-parent homes. It is recommended that non-survey instruments be implemented and to obtain a larger and more randomized sample. This study has the potential to contribute to positive social change through improving and targeting prevention and intervention programs that meet the unique physical and emotional needs of a military spouse head-on.

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