Date of Conferral

2016

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Arcella Trimble

Abstract

The U.S Army and support resource providers have become interested in the experiences of Army spouses during deployments. Previous research indicated that military spouses’ perceptions of support resources were integral in the usage of support services. However, little research has examined the combined effects of Army spouses’ opinions and perceptions regarding their sense of community and support resources available during multiple deployments. This quantitative study, based on the family stress theory, recorded the opinions of 174 Army Spouses using the Army Spouses’ Perception Survey and the Sense of Community Index 2. Predictor variables constituted sense of community opinions and support resources such as awareness, access, communication, and utilization. The criterion variable was Army spouses ’perception of support resources during multiple deployments. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple hierarchical regressions. Analysis revealed a significant relationship between individual variables on the military and civilian sense of community index and the domain support resources applicable to assist during multiple deployments on a spouses’ perception of available support resources. The influence of Army spouses’ opinions significantly impacted how available resources were perceived and used during multiple deployments. These findings will provide empirical evidence to military and civilian leaders on Army spouses’ experiences of support resources. Such information may provoke changes that yield more consistent usage of support resources during multiple deployments, thereby promoting positive social change.

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