The Relationship of Predeployment Child-Focused Preparedness to Reintegration Attitudes and PTSD Symptoms in Military Fathers With Young Children

Research shows that lower negative reintegration attitudes relate to lower levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among service members. Furthermore, mission preparedness has been shown to buffer the effects of combat exposure on PTSD development. The current study aims to extend the preparedness for deployment research into the family domain by examining the effect of predeployment childfocused preparedness on military fathers’ reintegration attitudes and PTSD symptoms. Correlations were conducted to examine the relationship between predeployment child-focused preparedness, reintegration attitudes, and PTSD symptoms among military fathers with young children (N = 30). Findings indicate that preparing one’s young children prior to deployment is positively related to fathers’ less negative reintegration attitudes following the deployment. Additionally, participants who engaged in predeployment child-focused preparation were significantly less likely to meet the clinical cut-off for PTSD compared to those who did not engage in any preparation for their young children. Implications for the potential positive impact of predeployment childfocused preparation on the family system are discussed, particularly as a buffer against PTSD among reintegrating service members.