What interventions can improve social connections for military partners? A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION

Social connection is a key component of all people's well-being, but especially for that of military partners, who are required to navigate their lives without consistent support from their partner or extended family network. Military service can also disconnect partners from ordinary civilian life and affect their health, well-being, and employment status. Despite the understanding that social connection is a key part of promoting well-being, knowledge of how to support and drive social connectedness for this group is less well established.

METHODS

This scoping review identified and synthesised the available literature on existing interventions for military partners. The review was guided by the research question "What interventions are aimed at improving the social connections of military partners?"

RESULTS

The scoping review identified key concepts, prior interventions, and gaps in the research. It established that although a significant body of literature addresses how partners and families provide social connection for the military member or Veteran, interventions that specifically address social connection for the partners themselves are limited.

DISCUSSION: Partners were framed in the literature as the providers of or connectors to social connection, rather than the recipients of social connection. This has potential ramifications for the well-being of partners as well as for the dynamics within military-connected family units.