Adverse childhood experiences, mental health, and relationship satisfaction in military couples.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been found to influence one's own mental health and relationship satisfaction in adulthood; however, the association between one's own ACEs and their partner's individual and relationship functioning has not been explored. Veterans ( n = 103) and their significant others (S-O; total N = 206) completed assessments on ACEs, depression, relationship satisfaction, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptom severity as part of a baseline assessment in a treatment outcome study for veterans with PTSD and their S-Os. Actor Partner Interdependence Moderation Modeling (APIMoM) was conducted. Higher ACE score was positively related to PTSD for all participants. Female S-O's ACE score was positively related to their own depression, and male S-Os reported higher depression and lower relationship satisfaction when their partners reported a higher ACE score. Surprisingly, female veterans experienced higher relationship satisfaction when their S-Os reported a higher ACE score. ACEs are related differently to one's own and one's partner's mental health and relationship satisfaction and should be assessed when conducting couple's interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).