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Optimism, Self-Differentiation, and Perceived Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Predictors of Satisfaction in Female Military Partners

Female wives/partners of active-duty military personnel, reservists, and veterans (N = 235) who had experienced a combat deployment participated in a study on the contributions of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, dispositional optimism, and self-differentiation to romantic relationship satisfaction. Optimism and differentiation were tested as protective factors in the context of PTSD symptoms. As hypothesized, more partner-perceived PTSD symptoms predicted less relationship satisfaction, and optimism contributed uniquely to satisfaction when controlling for symptom severity and the partner’s military status (active duty vs. separated). Contrary to prediction, however, self-differentiation was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, possibly due to the unique experience of military life and/or being partnered with a man who had experienced a combat deployment. Further analyses revealed that participants who indicated that their partners had formally received a PTSD diagnosis reported greater emotional reactivity and less emotional cutoff. The implications of these results are discussed along with the study’s limitations and recommendations for future research.