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The effect of father absence on the psychiatric hospitalization of Navy children
M Levai1, S Kaplan, R Ackermann
1University of North Florida, Jacksonville, USA.
Insights
Navy parent deployment increases psychiatric hospitalization risk for children, especially in non-intact families. This highlights the impact of military service on family structure and child mental health.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Military Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Military families, particularly Navy families, experience unique stressors due to frequent parental deployments.
- Child and adolescent mental health can be significantly impacted by parental absence and associated family dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychiatric hospitalization risk among children and adolescents from Navy families compared to civilian families.
- To identify specific family structures or conditions that may exacerbate the impact of parental deployment on youth mental health.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of psychiatric hospitalization rates.
- Examination of Navy and civilian children and adolescents admitted to a private psychiatric hospital.
- Assessment of family structures, including intact and non-intact families.
Main Results:
- Parental deployment was associated with an increased risk of psychiatric hospitalization for Navy children and adolescents.
- This risk was particularly pronounced in non-intact families, such as those with single parents or step-parents.
- The findings suggest deployment may destabilize already vulnerable family systems.
Conclusions:
- Father's deployment poses a risk for psychiatric hospitalization in Navy youth, especially within non-intact family settings.
- Family structure plays a critical role in mediating the impact of military deployment on child and adolescent mental health.
- Interventions should consider family structure when supporting military families experiencing deployment.
Abstract:
Some Navy families are subject to unusual stress in that the active duty parent may be deployed for several months at a time. This study examined children and adolescents from Navy and civilian families who were admitted to a private psychiatric hospital. Deployment of the father placed Navy children and adolescents at risk for psychiatric hospitalization, but mainly in non-intact families where step-parents or single parents were present. Deployment may strain an already vulnerable family structure in selected Navy families.