Military Spouses/Partners Research Project
Are you the spouse, ex-spouse, partner, or ex-partner of a U.S. or Canadian military service member or veteran who has been diagnosed with PTSD, should have been diagnosed with PTSD, or might have been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of his or her service? If so, you might qualify for our research project.


Project Aim
The overall aim of the project is to explore the phenomenon of secondary moral conflict among spouses, ex-spouses, partners, or ex-partners of military service members with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This exploratory study will lay the groundwork for future projects aimed at addressing gaps in the field of knowledge related to moral conflict in military family members.
Project Purpose
The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to explore and describe how partners of service members with PTSD experience, perceive, and describe moral conflict and its effects on partner relationships in the U.S. and Canada. Secondarily, this project will discover what supporting resources partners need as a result of their moral injurious experiences.
Study Population
Study participants will include spouses, domestic partners, ex-spouses, and ex-domestic partners of U.S. and Canadian service members with a military-related PTSD diagnosis. Participants will be located in the U.S. or Canada. Researchers expect to interview 20 or more participants.
Inclusion Criteria
To be included in the study, a volunteer must be a spouse, ex-spouse, domestic partner, or ex-domestic partner of a U.S. or Canadian service member that has been diagnosed with PTSD, should have been diagnosed with PTSD or might have been diagnosed with PTSD.
Exclusion Criteria
This study will exclude men and women who are currently serving in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, on active duty, in the reserves or National Guard. Civilians employed by the Department of Defense (DoD) in any capacity will also be excluded.
This project has been approved by the Thomas Jefferson University institutional review board.
Contact Us
If you are interested in participating or learning more about the study,
there are multiple ways to reach the research team:


910-701-0306
Even if you are not sure you qualify, reach out to us!