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Published on: September 19, 2019
The well-being of children from military families
Insights
Military parents
Area of Science:
- Pediatric mental health
- Military family studies
- Child psychology
Background:
- Frequent military deployments since 2001 impact families.
- Children and spouses experience prolonged uncertainty and danger.
- Parental psychological stress affects child emotional well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the effects of military parental deployments on child emotional and behavioral health.
- To highlight the increased challenges faced by military families.
- To underscore the need for identifying and treating child distress.
Main Methods:
- This study synthesizes existing research on military family well-being.
- It reviews the psychological impact of parental deployment on children.
- It analyzes the correlation between parental stress and child emotional distress.
Main Results:
- Children of deployed military parents exhibit higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms.
- Academic problems are more frequent among these children.
- Parental psychological stress is directly associated with children's emotional distress levels.
Conclusions:
- Military parental deployments pose significant risks to child emotional and behavioral health.
- Early identification of distress and timely referral for treatment are crucial for military children.
- Continued awareness and support are necessary for military families navigating deployment cycles.
Abstract:
Since 2001, the rapid pace of deployments of military personnel who are parents has created additional concern for the emotional and behavioral health of their children. Repeated deployments create prolonged periods of uncertainty and an increased sense of danger on the part of children and at-home spouses. Children of all ages have higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Academic problems for children of deployed parents also occur more frequently. The psychological stress of both at-home and deployed parents is associated with the child's level of emotional distress. Awareness of the possibility of greater challenges facing military families today is warranted to identify distress and referral to treatment.
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