Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Parental deployment, adolescent academic and social-behavioral maladjustment, and parental psychological well-being in military families
Journal Name
Public Health Reports
Journal Volume
132
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
93-105
DOI
10.1177/0033354916679995
Summary
Effects on military families’ overall well-being has yet to be examined as it relates to duration and frequency of deployments. This study sought to explore the relationship between parents’ deployment and change in adolescent behavior and parent well-being. Findings suggest long deployments have a greater impact on adolescents’ behavior and parents’ well-being.
Key Findings
A long deployment of a parent Soldier was significantly related to an adolescent’s decrease in independence, academic performance, and responsibility, and an increase in fear or anxiety.
Adolescent girls were less likely to have poor academic performance or behavior problems at school, but were more likely to have increased fear or anxiety while their parent was deployed.
Depression was more common in families with fathers serving in the military and who experienced a long deployment than in mothers serving in the military.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support groups for children of military families throughout deployment
Develop curricula that helps military fathers connect with their male children to build bonds that will be strong throughout the duration of any deployment or time away
Provide workshops for military parents to learn skills to reduce stress or worry related to deployments
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote leisure activities for all military families to encourage parent Service members to build bonds with their children prior to deployment
Continue to provide support for programs that work to help military children cope with deployment stress and changes
Recommend integrating parenting education into existing service delivery systems for all military families with children in various age groups
Methods
U.S. Army families with an adolescent child (12 or 13 years) participated in an online survey.
Parents reported on nine changes in adolescent behavior (e.g., academic performance, closeness to family, problem behavior at school) during the most recent deployment and indicated perceived level of depression.
The relationship between parent’s depression and length and time of last deployment with adolescent behavior was examined.
Participants
The sample included 1,021 Active Duty Army families; 537 (53%) were fathers and 479 (47%) were mothers.
Parents’ race/ethnicity consisted of 415 (41%) White, followed by 251 (25%) Latino/a, 208 (20%) Black, and 147 (14%) other.
A majority (N=854, 84%) of the sample were fathers as Service members with 366 (36%) who deployed in the past 12 months lasting more than 180 days (N=625, 61%).
Limitations
Parents reported on adolescent behavior which may have introduced subject bias.
The sample consisted of only families of Active Duty Soldiers, thus study findings may not be generalizable to all Service members and their families.
Some parents who served in the military were deployed when they responded to the survey, which may reduce the accuracy of changes in their adolescent’s behavior during deployment.
Avenues for Future Research
Collect data from multiple perspectives, including adolescents, on how changes in adolescent behavior impact parents’ overall well-being
Compare adolescent behavior among civilian and military families where the male figure is absent
Examine differences among military fathers and adolescent boys compared to military mothers and adolescent girls in regards to the effects of long deployments
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: Increases in the frequency and length of military deployments have raised concerns about the well-being of military families. We examined the relationship between a military parent’s deployment and (1) adolescent academic and social–behavioral maladjustment and (2) parental psychological well-being. Methods: We collected data from April 2013 through January 2014 from 1021 families of enlisted US Army personnel with children aged 12 or 13 during the Military Teenagers’ Environments, Exercise, and Nutrition Study. Through online parent surveys, we collected data on deployment, adolescent academic and social–behavioral maladjustment, and parental psychological well-being. We estimated adjusted logistic and linear regression models for adolescents (all, boys, girls), military parents (all, fathers, mothers), and civilian parents. Results: Compared with no or short deployments, long deployments (>180 days in the past 3 years) were associated with significantly higher odds of decreases in adolescent academic performance (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.54), independence (AOR = 2.04), and being responsible (AOR = 1.95). These associations were also significant for boys but not for girls. Among parents, long deployments were associated with significantly higher odds of being depressed (AOR = 2.58), even when controlling for adolescent maladjustment (AOR = 2.54). These associations did not differ significantly between military and civilian parents and were significant for military fathers but not military mothers. Recent deployment (in the past 12 months) was not associated with either adolescent or parent outcomes. Conclusion: Long deployments are associated with adolescents’ academic and social–behavioral maladjustments and diminished parental well-being, especially among boys and military fathers.
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