His and Hers: The Interface of Military Couples’ Biological, Psychological, and Relational Health

Serving in the military has the capacity to influence military personnel, civilian spouses, and marriages in unique ways. The purpose of the present study was to provide dyadic insight into the interface between biological, psychological, and relational health factors for military couples. Couples were recruited through a military medical center (N = 75) in the United States and both partners were assessed on several measures of biopsychorelational health. Actor-partner interdependence models were used to predict marital quality and satisfaction in relation to each partner’s experience with distress, symptoms of depression, and heart rate variability. Results indicated that husbands’ pain predicted husbands’ and wives’ positive marital quality. Husbands’ and wives’ symptoms of depression also influenced wives’ negative marital quality. Recommendations toward the need for relational assessments and routine screenings for both partners, as well as implementation of an integrated care model are discussed.