Effect of Short-Term Separation on the Behavioral Health of Military Wives

In the current prospective observational study, the impact of short-term separation on female spouses of male military officers who were scheduled to participate in a resident training program was evaluated. Using pre- and post-survey designs, participants were assessed 2 weeks prior to separation and 2 weeks prior to their husbands' returns. Participants completed the following scales: the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Relationship Assessment Scale, and Beck Depres-sion Inventory II Scale. No significant differences were found in perceived social support, resilience, perceived stress, relationship satisfaction, or depression scores pre-and post-separation. As predicted, depression scores were positively correlated with perceived stress scores and negatively correlated with resiliency and relationship satisfaction scores. Women with higher levels of resilience experienced lower levels of post-separation stress.