Unemployment in military spouses: An examination of the latent and manifest benefits, quality of life, and psychological wellbeing

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to explore employment, latent and manifest benefits (LAMB), wellbeing, and quality of life (QoL) in military spouses. Australian military spouses (286 females, 3 males, mean age?=?29.07, SD?=?6.19, age range: 19-50) were contacted through social networking to complete an online questionnaire. Results confirmed that unemployed spouses had reduced access to LAMB, higher levels of distress, and poorer QoL than spouses who were employed. Furthermore, the relationship between employment and wellbeing, and employment and QoL was partially mediated by access to LAMB. Financial income was found to be the most important contributor to wellbeing, and status was found to be the most important contributor of QoL. Overall, findings have implications for military outcomes such as retention and readiness, as spouse employment is a significant factor of their wellbeing and QoL which can, in turn, affect the military member.