Experiential avoidance and its effect on post deployment marital communication and adjustment

Abstract

Research on the adjustment of over two million Americans deployed to Middle Eastern conflicts since 2001 has indicated high rates of mental illness in returning veterans, although the adjustment of family members – particularly nondeployed spouses – is less understood. Extant research has documented lower satisfaction in marital relationships after deployment, but less is known about specific postdeployment spousal communication patterns and how levels of experiential avoidance affect this communication as well as marital satisfaction more broadly.