%0 Journal Article
%T Military Wives' Transition and Coping: Deployment and the Return Home
%A Suzanne Marnocha
%J ISRN Nursing
%D 2012
%R 10.5402/2012/798342
%X The objective of this qualitative study is to explore the experiences of wives of deployed soldiers. Semistructured interviews were used to answer the research questions. Meleis' Transitions Theory was used to guide the understanding of the wives' experiences. Phase One: news of deployment, property of awareness, themes of emotional chaos and making preparations. Phase Two: during deployment, property of engagement, themes of taking the reins and placing focus elsewhere, along with the property of change and difference, with themes of emotional and physical turmoil, staying strong, and reaching out. Phase Three: after deployment, property of time span, themes of absence makes the heart grow fonder and reestablishing roles. The study concluded that the wife often feels forgotten during deployment. Nurses can give better care by understanding how the different phases of deployment and separation affect the wife's coping ability and her physical and emotional health. 1. Introduction The family experiences significant stress when a loved one is deployed to combat zones and exposed to dangerous operations. Approximately 1.5 million American troops have been deployed; one-third of these troops served at least two tours in a combat zone, 70,000 were deployed three times, and 20,000 were deployed at least five times. More than 3,240 American troops have died, and over 23,000 have returned home with physical wounds, psychological injuries, and permanent disabilities [1]. There is an abundance of information in the literature describing the human experience of the soldierĄ¯s deployment, but little information or attention has been given to the deploymentĄ¯s effect on the wife. Fifty percent of military personnel are married, and nine out of ten military spouses are female [2]. Dealing with deployment can be an overwhelming process for the wife, as she deals with loneliness, loss of emotional support, pressure of an extensive separation, shifting responsibilities, potential difficulty in dealing with the children, financial constraints, and constant disruption of family roles [1, 3]. In addition to these stressors, her husband is being deployed to a combat zone where his life is threatened. The literature reflects that both wives and husbands of deployed soldiers exhibit different stages of grief and loss, including denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance [3¨C5]. Other significant emotional problems, such as anxiety [6, 7] and relationship dysfunction [1, 8], along with related health problems may occur. Returning home is also a particularly stressful
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.nursing/2012/798342/