First Advisor
Cynthia Mohr
Term of Graduation
January 2026
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Language
English
Subjects
Capitalization Support, Coping, Dyadic Processes, Loneliness, Military Couple
Physical Description
1 online resource ( pages)
Abstract
Among military veterans, the transition to civilian life is often marked by elevated distress and burnout (Smith et al., 2017), low job satisfaction (Teclaw et al., 2016), and a lack of perceived psychological safety (McAllister et al., 2015). Social support, especially from intimate partners, can serve as a critical protective factor. While most support literature focuses on stress-buffering in adverse contexts, positive social support, such as responsiveness to shared positive experiences (i.e., capitalization support), is a powerful though understudied process (Feeney & Collins, 2015). This dissertation investigates the role of partner capitalization support, which is the responsiveness shown by a romantic partner when one shares good news (Langston, 1994; Gable et al., 2004, 2018), as a source of stress reduction, resilience, and relational well-being for military veterans.
All data from this set of work is derived from the Study for Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) project. The primary purpose of SERVe was to assess the efficacy of supportive supervisor training, and the sample consisted of veterans from civilian work organizations in Oregon. Drawing on three empirical studies, this work advances conceptual and applied understanding of how positive partner interactions contribute to veteran mental health and adjustment across both relational and daily life contexts. As of 2022, nearly 9 million military veterans were working in the civilian workforce (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). Given the size and continued growth of this population, it is critical that veterans and former service members are represented in psychological and organizational research to better understand the contexts that shape their well-being and adjustment.
Conceptually, this dissertation highlights the potential of positive, responsive support as a mechanism for promoting well-being. Across studies, capitalization support was associated with reduced stress and lower psychological distress, with effects emerging through emotional and functional pathways rather than uniformly across outcomes. Notably, findings also suggest that capitalization processes may be relatively resilient, remaining intact even in the presence of loneliness and psychological distress. Practically, findings offer insight into how veteran-serving interventions might foster healthy relationships and address the broader public health challenge of loneliness (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2018). Together, these studies contribute to the positive support literature and underscore how close relationships can be a source of both protection and growth for veterans and their families
Rights
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Recommended Citation
Samson, MaryAnn Dona, "Positive Partner Support and Veteran Well-being: How Capitalization Support Strengthens Military Veterans and Partnerships" (2026). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 7142.