Finding the evidence: Screening of Military Family Research, 2014-2017.

Of 1.3 million active duty service members, the majority have family responsibilities; 54.3% are married, and 41.2% have at least one child. The authors sought to determine existing areas of focus in military family research and to identify areas that are currently understudied. The authors queried four literature databases from January 2014 to May 2017, and 2,502 articles were identified in the initial catchment. All 595 article abstracts that met inclusion criteria were sorted into one or more of 12 topics. Topics with the highest number of articles included Mental Health and Care (n = 276), Adult/Couple Partner Relationships (n = 247), and Deployment Issues (n = 244). Topics with sparse articles included Maternal/Child & Newborn Health (n = 27), Health Promotion (n = 10), and Special Heath Care Needs (n = 4). The three topics with the highest number of articles reflect interdependent and overlapping themes and showcase the importance of family relationships to the operational readiness of active duty members. The topics with fewer numbers of articles highlight areas where more evidence is needed. Understanding the current evidence allows nurse practitioners to support military families appropriately in real time.

Understanding deployment from the perspective of those who have served.

BACKGROUND: The term deployment is used by the military to describe sending troops to carry out a combat, peacekeeping, or humanitarian mission. PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to illustrate the variations around combat deployment experiences. METHODS: Qualitative descriptive methodology was used to examine data from 17 members of the U.S. military who deployed at least once to a combat zone after the September 11, 2001 attacks. FINDINGS: No two deployments were the same between individuals or within individuals if they deployed more than once. Variations were discovered in deployment experiences related to deployment demands, deployment resources, and coming back changed as individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Regarding deployment as a singular concept does not take into account the variations in the deployment experience. Individuals caring for those who have served in war would benefit from understanding that each deployment is unique and a life-altering experience.

US Military Service Members' Reasons for Deciding to Participate in Health Research.

Researchers have reported challenges in recruiting US military service members as research participants. We explored their reasons for participating. Eighteen US military service members who had participated in at least one health-related research study within the previous 3 years completed semi-structured individual interviews in person or by telephone, focused on the service members' past decisions regarding research participation. Service members described participation decisions for 34 individual research experiences in 27 separate studies. Service members' reasons for participation in research clustered in three themes: others-, self-, and fit-focused. Each decision included reasons characterized by at least two themes. Reasons from all three themes were apparent in two-thirds of individual participation decisions. Reasons described by at least half of the service members included a desire to make things better for others, to improve an organization, to help researchers, and to improve one's health; understanding how they fit in studies; and convenience of participation. Findings may help researchers, study sponsors, ethicists, military leaders, and military decision-makers better understand service members' reasons for participating in research and improve future recruitment of service members in health research. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Strong army couples: a case study of rekindling marriage after combat deployment.

Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), occurring in 15% of combat-exposed military personnel, are associated with a decrease in couples' relationship quality. The purpose of this analysis was to describe reintegration in Army couples with high couple functioning, despite PTSS in one or both partners. Reintegration refers to readjustment after deployment; returning to previous role(s). In a mixed-methods case study of Army couples with a history of combat deployment, we used existing quantitative data to define sampling boundaries, select cases, and guide interviews. Couples scoring high on couple functioning, resilience, and couple satisfaction were interviewed (N = 5 couples, 10 participants). "Rekindling marriage" required strategies to overcome challenges during couple reintegration. For participants as individuals, those strategies were allowing negative emotions, giving each other time and space to do the work of rediscovery and accepting a changed reality, and recognizing and addressing individual needs of the other. As couples, strategies were to go with the flow, open your heart, become best friends, maintain trust, and communicate effectively. As families, strategies were to normalize schedules and protect family time. Findings offer a preliminary basis for interventions to promote strong relationships for military couples with PTSS.

Couple functioning and post-traumatic stress symptoms in US Army couples: the role of resilience.

The purpose of this study was to investigate combat-related post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and couple relationships in Army couples. US Army combat veteran couples (N = 66 couples) completed self-report questionnaires on couple functioning, coercion, resilience, and PTSS. In 23% of the couples (n = 15), both members had PTSS above the clinical cut-off for suspected Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Higher levels of PTSS were associated with lower couple functioning and resilience. Individuals with high resilience scores reported higher couple functioning scores, regardless of PTSS (p = .004). Future researchers should focus on the role of resilience in relation to couple functioning, and ways to amplify resilience in military couples.

Traumatic brain injury in intimate partner violence: a critical review of outcomes and mechanisms.

The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is striking, as are its consequences to the lives of women. The IPV often includes physical assault, which can include injuries to the head and attempted strangulation injuries. Both types of injuries can result in traumatic brain injury (TBI). The TBI sustained during IPV often occurs over time, which can increase the risk for health declines and postconcussive syndrome (PCS). Current studies have identified sequelae of cognitive dysfunction, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression in women experiencing IPV, yet, most fail to determine the role of TBI in the onset and propagation of these disorders. Although imaging studies indicate functional differences in neuronal activation in IPV, they also have not considered the possibility of TBI contributing to these outcomes. This review highlights the significant gaps in current findings related to neuropsychological complications and medical and psychosocial symptoms that likely result in greater morbidity, as well as the societal costs of failing to acknowledge the association of IPV and TBI in women.