Military spouses speak up: A qualitative study of military and Veteran spouses’ perspectives

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine military family life through the lens of military and Veteran spouses. Twenty-two female, active-duty military and Veteran spouses provided extensive written responses to essay questions as part of an online survey that were analyzed with qualitative data analysis methods. Findings revealed seven main themes: how military life has influenced health care access, spouses’ identities as caregivers, marital relationships, health outcomes, social support, spouses’ educational and career opportunities, as well as their personal growth. In summary, their experiences indicate that military service affects all aspects of their lives. Spouses gave numerous suggestions as to how service providers can address their unique experiences to improve the supports they offer military families, including ensuring the spouse is involved in health care, and providing support programs that focus on the entire family.

KEYWORDS:

• Behavioral health
• caregiving
• family
• military culture
• military family
• Veteran family