Finding the precise distance: Self-differentiation, marital relationship and trauma among ex-combatants’ spouses

Background

Spouses of ex-combatants often experience psychological distress due to sharing their lives with a partner who endured traumatic experiences, a phenomenon known as “secondary traumatization”. Self-differentiation is the emotional distance one takes, while keeping an amount of togetherness with significant others. The couple's relationship and self-differentiation can impact the manner and expanse of secondary traumatization experienced by the spouse.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the role of marital adjustment and self-differentiation (an enmeshed vs detached differentiation style), in secondary traumatization among spouses of ex-combatants.

Methods

This study is part of a longitudinal study examining psychological implications of war among Israeli ex-combatants and their spouses. Overall, 267 spouses have been assessed three times (2003;2011;2016). Participants completed self-report questionnaires evaluating secondary PTSD (SPS), general psychiatric distress (GPD), self-differentiation and dyadic adjustment (DAS). Cross-path models were used to assess associations between the variables longitudinally.

Results

Associations were found between both self-differentiation and dyadic adjustment and SPS and GPD. Path models showed that fusion\cutoff differentiation predicted more SPS\GPD over time and vice-versa. Furthermore, dyadic adjustment mediated the association between fusion\cutoff differentiation and SPS\GPD. In other words, fusion\cutoff differentiation in time 1 predicted dyadic adjustment in time 2, which in turn predicted SPS\GPD in time 3.

Conclusions

Our results can be interpreted in conjunction with original theories about secondary traumatization, emphasizing the importance of keeping a balanced emotional distance in the marital relationship as a way of reducing distress and PTSD symptoms following traumatic events.