Publication year
2014
Citation Title
Family adjustment of deployed and nondeployed mothers in families with a parent deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan
Journal Name
Research and Practice
Journal Volume
45
Issue Number
6
Page Numbers
465-477
DOI
10.1037/a0036235
Summary
There is limited research on the family and individual adjustment of military mothers who have deployed to conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan (OIF, OEF, OND). An analysis of baseline data on maternal, child, parenting, and couple adjustment for mothers in 181 families in which a parent deployed to OIF/OEF/OND was conducted. Overall, differences were found between deployed and non-deployed mothers on individual and family dimensions.
Key Findings
Deployed mothers reported more often having difficulty finding a job, troubles and changes in responsibilities at work, and problems in school than non-deployed mothers.
Deployed mothers reported more conflicts with partners around parenting than non-deployed mothers.
Mothers who had deployed reported greater distress (higher scores on measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms) than non-deployed mothers.
No differences were found between the deployed and non-deployed mothers on measures of couple adjustment, parenting, or child functioning.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer military couples’ education training that focus on unique military family stressors, such as deployments and relocations
Offer pre- and post-deployment support groups for deployed mothers and their families
Provide support for deployed mothers that focuses on relationship building during reintegration
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue support for programs that specifically addresses deployed mothers and their relationships with their partners and children
Facilitate awareness among professionals working with military families around the importance of supporting resiliency in Service members, their partners, and children
Recommend education of professionals who work with military families (e.g., child caregivers, mental health, education professionals) on the possible effects of mothers’ deployment on their mental health and wellbeing
Methods
Participants that were already in After Deployment Adaptive Parenting Tools prevention study were recruited through outreach to military organizations and media coverage.
Mothers completed questionnaires assessing past-year adverse life events, PTSD and depression symptoms, couple adjustment, and child functioning.
Analysis examined pre-deployment recent life stressors among deployed and non-deployed women, and compared individual and family adjustment: maternal and child adjustment, couple adjustment, and parenting.
Participants
Eligibility criteria included having a child between age four to twelve years, and one parent who had deployed to OIF, OEF, or OND.
Participants included deployed (19%) and never deployed mothers who were married or partnered with deployed men (81%) with most identifying as White (91%).
Participants were in the Army National Guard (65%), Army Reserves (15%), Air National Guard (9%), Active Duty Army (6%), Air Force Reserves (3%), and the rest unknown (3%).
Limitations
The deployment status of the women’s partner could not be controlled for, which poses unique circumstances that may have influenced the study outcomes.
The sample was limited to Nation Guard and Reserve families with school-age children; therefore, not representative of the entire military population.
The analysis method chosen to analyze the data did not fit the data patterns correctly; therefore, results should be interpreted with caution.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore challenges for deployed mothers around separation from children and the implications for relationships (especially with young children ages zero to five years old)
Investigate the effects of dual deployment on military families and their relationships with their children and partner
Evaluate what supports military families need most in the reintegration stage of deployment
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
Almost nothing is known about the family and individual adjustment of military mothers who have deployed to the conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan (Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn; OIF, OEF, OND), constituting a gap in psychologists’ knowledge about how best to help this population. We report baseline data on maternal, child, parenting, and couple adjustment for mothers in 181 families in which a parent deployed to OIF/OEF/OND. Among this sample, 34 mothers had deployed at least once, and 147 mothers had experienced the deployment of a male spouse/partner. Mothers completed self-report questionnaires assessing past-year adverse life events, war experiences (for deployed mothers only), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms, difficulties in emotion regulation, parenting, couple adjustment, and child functioning. Mothers who had deployed reported greater distress than nondeployed mothers (higher scores on measures of PTSD and depression symptoms), and slightly more past year adverse events. A moderate number of war experiences (combat and postbattle aftermath events) were reported, consistent with previous studies of women in current and prior conflicts. However, no differences were found between the two groups on measures of couple adjustment, parenting, or child functioning. Results are discussed in terms of the dearth of knowledge about deployed mothers, and implications for psychologists serving military families.
Abstract Document
PRTW Document
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