Tools
ToolsLogan, Emily May (2026) Exploring Influences on the Psychological Wellbeing of Military Spouses in the United Kingdom: A Qualitative Systematic Review and Online Survey Study. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.
Preview |
PDF
Download (4MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Background
It is well documented in the literature that military families face a multitude of challenges as part of military life. There is a lot of research around the wellbeing of military personnel, but much less around the wellbeing of their civilian partners. The US has been a global leader in beginning to conduct this research, with various studies looking at the impact of military challenges on military spouses’ wellbeing, both generally and during times of increased stress, such as the perinatal period. Similar research has begun to be conducted in the UK assessing the wellbeing of military spouses. However, a systematic review of this literature has not been conducted. Furthermore, no empirical research has been conducted specifically on the perinatal mental health (PMH) of military spouses in the UK. This portfolio aims to explore the impact of being a military spouse on wellbeing in the UK, and what the factors are that influence wellbeing. It further aims to understand the challenges that spouses face more specifically during the perinatal period, what the rates of self-reported PMH difficulties are, and how the military challenges that they face are associated with the reported PMH difficulties.
Method
A qualitative systematic review of the research literature was conducted and identified 9 studies assessing the wellbeing of military spouses. The empirical paper utilised a cross-sectional survey design to understand the rated impact of military challenges on wellbeing and the self-reported PMH difficulties in a sample of 361 military spouses.
Results
The systematic review identified that spouses often feel they experience mental health difficulties as a result of the challenges that they face, but that there is a felt expectation to suppress these emotional responses. There was also a sense from spouses that the military do not recognise their distress or difficulties. Furthermore, spouses described a change in their individual sense of self, with some reporting this to be positive albeit most describing negative impacts. Whether spouses live on base or off base appeared to influence their wellbeing, along with the expectations that they feel are placed upon them by the military culture that they live in. The empirical paper found a complex mix of challenges rated as impacting on spouses’ wellbeing. The self-reported PMH rates were high, with over half of participants scoring above clinical cut off in most of the measures and difficulties with military accommodation were found to be significantly associated with small increases in depression, anxiety and stress scores.
Conclusions
The portfolio indicates that military spouses in the UK face a range of interconnected challenges as a result of military life, with a variety of outcomes on their wellbeing both generally and during the perinatal period. Further research is required to understand the mechanisms behind these challenges and their impact on wellbeing to help appropriately adapt policy and practice to better support the population of military spouses in the UK.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School |
| Depositing User: | Chris White |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Nov 2026 09:44 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Nov 2026 09:44 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/105059 |
| DOI: |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |