Boundary Ambiguity and Ambivalence in Military Family Reintegration

• Author: William‐Glenn L. Hollingsworth,Megan L. Dolbin‐MacNab,Lydia I. Marek
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12207
• Published date: 01 October 2016
• Date: 01 October 2016

W-G L. H University of Mobile

M L. D-MN  L I. M Virginia Tech

Boundary Ambiguity and Ambivalence in Military

Family Reintegration

Although more than 2 million service mem-

bers have experienced deployment since 2001,

predictors of postdeployment family function-

ing remain unclear. Utilizing the Contextual

Model of Family Stress (Boss, 2002), this study

examined military-related factors (e.g., rank,

component, combat exposure, postdeployment

time at home, cumulative length of deploy-

ments), boundary ambiguity, and family- and

deployment-related ambivalence as predictors

of family functioning during reintegration. Ser-

vice members (N=228) from multiple branches

of the U.S. military participated in a national

survey related to family relationships and sup-

port programming.Hierarchical regression ana-

lyses revealed that service members from lower

ranks, who were home for longerperiods of time,

and who endorsed higher degrees of boundary

ambiguity and family-related ambivalence repo-

rted poorer family functioning. Results empha-

size the relevance of boundary ambiguity and

family-related ambivalence to the reintegration

process and can inform prevention and inter-

vention efforts that promote family well-being

in the military population during the critical

postdeployment period.

5735 College Parkway, Mobile, AL 36613 (ghollingsworth

@umobile.edu).

Key Words: Ambivalence, boundary ambiguity, deployment,

family relations, military families, reintegration.

More than 2.3 million service members have

experienced deployment since the beginning of

the War on Terror, which includes the wars in

Iraq and Afghanistan. Many return home with

psychological and physical effects, and some

return with burgeoning mental health disorders

such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

and other life-changing injuries (Bowling &

Sherman, 2008). The more than 3 million imme-

diate family members whom service members

left behind also had to adjust during deployment

and carry on with family life. Despite the ini-

tial joy of reunion, “returning to the status quo

is never possible” for these families (Wiens &

Boss, 2006, p. 24).

Reintegration happens after the family has

reunited, upon return from deployment, and

refers to the various tasks and processes fam-

ilies engage in as they attempt to accommo-

date the personal and relational changes incurred

during the service member’s absence. Although

there may be a brief period of euphoria when the

service member returns, reentering family rela-

tionships is a challenging process that involves

new expectations, power structures, and stresses

(MacDermid, 2006). Families may experience

ambivalence toward the service member, as the

service member’s reentry can disrupt an adap-

tive routine, requiring roles and responsibilities

to shift once again (Bowling & Sherman, 2008),

and so leaving boundaries and roles ambiguous.

Factors such as a history of previous marital con-

ict, service member and spouse mental health,

Family Relations 65 (October 2016): 603–615 603

DOI:10.1111/fare.12207