EXPLORING HOW CANADIAN MILITARY SPOUSES DEFINE AND EXEMPLFY RESILIENCE AND LACK OF RESILIENCE

Abstract

The military profession, though a noble one, comes with its own set of unique characteristics. The combination of routine relocations, being separated from loved ones, and military members being placed in high-risk environments with the potential of injury or death, is the reality for military spouses and their families. Research focusing on the resilience of military spouses in Canada is gaining momentum, creating an opportunity to learn more about this community’s resilience. Using semi-structured interviews, this netnography collected data from five military spouses in Canada to understand how military spouses define and demonstrate resilience and diminishing resilience amidst the routine challenges associated with the military lifestyle. Social connections and mentorship were identified as some of the most valued protective factors to their resilience. These insights can inform new resiliency frameworks and models tailored to the military context and guide the improvement of existing policies and resources for military spouses.