THE PERCEIVED EFFECT OF STRESSORS ON MARITAL SATISFACTION AMONG CIVILIAN WIVES OF ENLISTED SOLDIERS DEPLOYED TO SOMALIA FOR OPERATION-RESTORE-HOPE

Nearly 400 spouses of enlisted soldiers who had deployed to Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope in late 1992 and early 1993 were surve yed in July/August 1993, Their reported post-deployment and retrospect ive pre-deployment marital satisfaction was predicted as a function of four potentially stressful events or conditions: experiencing a pregn ancy during deployment, experiencing loneliness, experiencing the deat h of a close friend or relative, and/or having problems communicating with one's spouse. Pre-deployment marital stability was used as a cont rol variable, Results from multivariate analyses of variance suggest t hat the effects of various difficulties during a brief deployment are less stressful, at least in terms of their impact on marital satisfact ion, than is often assumed, even for marriages that might be considere d ''at risk'' in terms of low marital stability.