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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Psychological Therapy and Psychosomatics
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1465801
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovations in the assessment and treatment of TBI and co-occurring conditions in military connected populations View all 3 articles

A Dyad Approach to Understanding Relationship Satisfaction and Health Outcomes in Military Couples following Service Member and Veteran Traumatic Brain Injury

Provisionally accepted
Tracey A. Brickell Tracey A. Brickell 1*Brian Ivins Brian Ivins 2Megan M. Wright Megan M. Wright 1Jamie K. Sullivan Jamie K. Sullivan 1Louis M French Louis M French 1Rael T. Lange Rael T. Lange 1
  • 1 Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, United States
  • 2 Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence (TBICoE), Military Health System, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: Using a dyadic approach, this study examined health and family outcomes in military couples following service member and veteran (SMV) traumatic brain injury (TBI) and within the context of relationship satisfaction. Methods: Participants included 164 dyads (N=328) comprised of United States SMVs (n=164) and their intimate partners (IPs, n=164). Dyads completed a measure of relationship satisfaction and measures of psychological, social, caregiving, family, neurobehavioral, and/or PTSD outcomes. Dyads were classified into four relationship satisfaction dyad groups: [1] SMV and IP satisfied (Both Satisfied, n=72 dyads), [2] SMV satisfied and IP dissatisfied (SMVsat/IPdis, n=25 dyads), [3] SMV dissatisfied and IP satisfied (SMVdis/IPsat, n=21 dyads), and [4] SMV and IP dissatisfied (Both Dissatisfied, n=46 dyads). Results: Within dyads, SMVs reported worse scores than their IPs, with the exception of the SMVsat/IPdis group, where their dissatisfied IPs reported worse scores on four measures. Across groups, dissatisfied SMVs reported worse scores compared to satisfied SMVs, and dissatisfied IPs reported worse scores compared to satisfied IPs. Satisfied and dissatisfied SMVs and IPs in the mixed relationship satisfaction groups reported little to no differences across measures compared to their respective SMVs and IPs in the Both Satisfied or Both Dissatisfied groups; with the exception of the family measures for dissatisfied SMVs or IPs. Conclusions:Relationship dissatisfaction was related to worse health and family outcomes, even if the other member in the dyad reported satisfaction in their relationship. A dual goal, dyadic approach to TBI treatment that focuses on how individual, couple, and family factors interact with each other will likely maximize service member recovery and return to duty, and outcomes for military families.

    Keywords: service member, veteran, couple, Intimate partner, Traumatic Brain Injury, relationship satisfaction, Dyad

    Received: 24 Jul 2024; Accepted: 31 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Brickell, Ivins, Wright, Sullivan, French and Lange. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Tracey A. Brickell, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.