Disclosure and Concealment in Military Couples: A Dyadic Study

Objective: Disclosure of deployment-related experiences among military couples is generally beneficial to mental health and relationship adjustment. Yet, disclosure by the spouse is rarely studied, as are the dyadic associations between disclosure and outcomes in both partners. The present study used a dyadic approach to study the relationship between disclosure or concealment on one hand and mental health and relationship adjustment on the other hand among Israeli military couples. Method: Sixty-three Israel Defense Force (IDF) combat veterans (all male) and their spouses (all female; N = 126) completed self-report questionnaires about disclosure and concealment of deployment-related experiences to their partner; relationship adjustment; depression; and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Six Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM) were used for dyadic analysis. Results: We found lower disclosure and higher concealment of deployment-related experiences by veterans compared to spouses. The veteran's concealment of deployment-related experiences was associated with lower relationship adjustment for both partners and with the veteran's own higher PTSS. The spouse's concealment was associated with greater depression for both partners and with the spouse's own higher PTSS. Neither actor nor partner effects were found for disclosure regarding all three outcomes. Conclusions: Concealment of deployment-related experiences among military couples may have detrimental implications on the mental health and relationship adjustment of both the concealer and their partner. The spouse's concealment of their experience was as related to mental health and relationship adjustment as the veteran's concealment. The findings highlight the need to address communication about deployment-related experiences by both partners among military couples.