Citation

Heavey SC, Homish DL, Goodell EA, Homish GG. Stress Health 2017; 33(5): 617-623.

Affiliation

Department of Family Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, University at Buffalo-The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/smi.2748

PMID

28198140

Abstract

Combat exposure's influence on intimate partner violence (IPV) in reserve soldiers is not well understood. This work examines combat exposure's influence on IPV in U.S. Army Reserve/National Guard soldiers and partners. Data are from Operation: SAFETY, a longitudinal study of U.S. Army Reserve/National Guard soldiers and partners. Logistic regression models examined odds of sexual aggression, physical aggression, and physical injury with combat exposure, controlling for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, marital satisfaction, and age. Combat exposure was associated with greater physical injury, despite no association between combat exposure and physical aggression. This was significant for male soldier to female partner, as well as female partner to male soldier injury. In addition, female partners were more likely to be sexually aggressive against their male soldiers. Female soldiers' combat exposure was not associated with IPV or injury. Although men's combat exposure did not increase the likelihood of physical aggression, it increased the likelihood of IPV resulting in injury for both husband to wife and wife to husband aggression.

RESULTS indicate postdeployment programming should focus on conflict resolution and communication for both partners.

Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

child/family; mental health; physical morbidity; posttraumatic stress