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The psychosocial effects of deployment on military children

Eric M Flake1, Beth Ellen Davis, Patti L Johnson

  • 1Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA 98431, USA. eric.flake@us.army.mil

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|July 17, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Parenting stress significantly impacts child psychosocial health during military deployment. Military families can mitigate risks through support systems, with one-third of children identified as high-risk.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Military Health
  • Child Development

Background:

  • The psychosocial impact of the Global War on Terror on U.S. military children is largely unknown.
  • Understanding children's mental health during parental deployment is crucial for effective support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the psychosocial profile of school-aged children during parental deployment.
  • To identify predictors of children at high risk for psychosocial morbidity.

Main Methods:

  • Army spouses with deployed service members and children (5-12 years) completed psychosocial assessments.
  • Measures included the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form.

Main Results:

  • 32% of children exceeded the PSC cutoff for high risk; 42% reported high parenting stress.
  • Parenting stress significantly predicted increased child psychosocial morbidity.
  • Military support and parental college education were associated with decreased child morbidity.

Conclusions:

  • One-third of military children experienced high psychosocial morbidity during deployment.
  • Parenting stress is the most significant predictor of child psychosocial functioning.
  • Military, family, and community supports are vital in mitigating deployment-related family stress.
Abstract

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