Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Fostering resilience in National Guard and Reserve families: A contextual adaptation of an evidence-based parenting program
Journal Name
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Journal Volume
87
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
185-193
DOI
10.1037/ort0000221
Summary
Cultural adaptations to existing interventions have been found to increase participant engagement and satisfaction. The After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT) intervention is a military adaptation of an existing parenting program that seeks to address deployment-related stressors in National Guard and Reserve (NG/R) soldiers and their families in an effort to maximize both participant engagement and satisfaction. Findings indicate a high level of engagement in and satisfaction with the intervention.
Key Findings
Three-quarters (75.36%, 156 families) of the 207 families who were randomly assigned to participate in the ADAPT intervention attended at least one in-person session.
Group attendance did not differ significantly between mothers and fathers.
Family engagement in the intervention was significantly higher for groups that had at least one military-connected facilitator leading the group.
Families reported high satisfaction, giving individual sessions an average score ranging from 3.37-3.59 (M = 3.44, SD = .48) out of 4.00.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer programming that is delivered by at least one military-connected facilitator (who either belongs to a military family or who works within a military system) in order to increase military family engagement
Engage Service members and their partners in programming that addresses the challenges of reintegration
Enhance education, activities, and curriculum related to deployment and family reintegration
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support programs that address the unique challenges faced by military families who have experienced a deployment
Collaborate with community organizations that offer interventions that have been adapted specifically for military families
Recommend education for service providers around the importance of providing programming that has been developed specifically for military culture
Methods
Participants were recruited through various outreach efforts, including during reintegration events, as well as through mailings, flyers, and social media.
To be eligible, families needed to have at least one child between the ages of four and 12 years living with them and to have at least one parent who deployed to OEF/OIF/OND.
Engagement, determined by the number of sessions attended and the completion of home practice assignments, participant satisfaction, positive group experiences, and home practice satisfaction were assessed for differences between demographics (e.g., men and women, military-connected facilitators and non-military-connected facilitators).
Participants
Participants included the 156 NG/R families who attended at least one in-person session of the ADAPT intervention.
Average parent age was 35.97 years (SD = 6.11), and most of the participants were White (92.6%)
Most parents were married (88.7%) for an average of 9.7 years (SD = 5.10), and average annual household income was between $60,000 and $69,000.
Limitations
The sample was predominantly White and middle class, so the results may not generalize to a more diverse and less economically stable group of NG/R.
The sample was limited to NG/R families in one state (Minnesota), so the results may not generalize to the entire military population.
The incorporation of military-connected facilitators was not part of the original randomized design, which means other untested variables could have influenced the results.
Avenues for Future Research
Expand the study to include a more economically and racially diverse population
Broaden the study's scope to include NG/R soldiers from other states
Include military-connected facilitators in the randomization process in order to ensure that other untested variables are not accounting for the differences found
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Military deployment of a parent is a risk factor for children’s internalizing and externalizing
problems. This risk may be heightened in National Guard and Reserve (NG/R) families who tend
to be isolated from other NG/R families and do not benefit from the centralized support system
available to active duty families living on military bases. Isolation and trauma-related disorders
may complicate the adjustment of military families during reintegration. An evidence-based
parent training intervention was modified to meet the unique needs of recently deployed NG/R
parents and their spouses, and the modified program was evaluated in a randomized controlled
trial. The current study examines engagement and satisfaction with the program. Modifications
such as employment of military-connected facilitators sought to maximize engagement in and
satisfaction with the program. Engagement and satisfaction were examined between mothers and
fathers, as well as between groups led by a military-connected facilitator and those led by civilian
facilitators. Significantly greater engagement was noted for groups that were led by a military-connected
facilitator (p = .01). There were no differences between genders in attendance rates,
though greater positive group experiences were reported by mothers versus fathers (p = .01).
Results are discussed in the context of engagement and satisfaction reported for similar programs.
Implications for working with military families are also considered.
problems. This risk may be heightened in National Guard and Reserve (NG/R) families who tend
to be isolated from other NG/R families and do not benefit from the centralized support system
available to active duty families living on military bases. Isolation and trauma-related disorders
may complicate the adjustment of military families during reintegration. An evidence-based
parent training intervention was modified to meet the unique needs of recently deployed NG/R
parents and their spouses, and the modified program was evaluated in a randomized controlled
trial. The current study examines engagement and satisfaction with the program. Modifications
such as employment of military-connected facilitators sought to maximize engagement in and
satisfaction with the program. Engagement and satisfaction were examined between mothers and
fathers, as well as between groups led by a military-connected facilitator and those led by civilian
facilitators. Significantly greater engagement was noted for groups that were led by a military-connected
facilitator (p = .01). There were no differences between genders in attendance rates,
though greater positive group experiences were reported by mothers versus fathers (p = .01).
Results are discussed in the context of engagement and satisfaction reported for similar programs.
Implications for working with military families are also considered.
Abstract Document
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