Marital transitions among Vietnam-era repatriated prisoners of war

We examined (i) whether marital outcomes in the 20 years following repatriation for 98 former Vietnam War prisoners of war (POW) differed from a matched comparison group of 98 Vietnam-era Navy aviators who did not experience captivity, and (ii) individual differences that contributed to vulnerability for divorce among the POWs and 56 of their wives. POWs had a higher divorce rate than the comparison sample, particularly in the 2 years following repatriation. POWs were more likely to divorce when they were younger, had shorter marriages, and had wives with lower marital satisfaction and more financial Stressors. Marriage can be a casualty of war, even among those who are high functioning and have many personal advantages.