Publication year
2016
Citation Title
A randomized clinical trial of a postdeployment parenting intervention for service members and their families with very young children.
Journal Name
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
DOI
10.1037/tra0000196
Summary
Deployment may have a unique impact on very young children (i.e., birth to six years old) in military families. This study evaluated the efficacy of an eight-module home-visiting program directed at increasing postdeployment parenting functioning in military families with very young children. Results indicated that the program was effective.
Key Findings
Parents who participated in the program experienced decreases in parenting stress and improved parenting functioning compared to those who were assigned to a waitlist.
Participation in the program lessened the association between higher posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD symptoms) and lower parenting confidence.
Service members participating in the program experienced significant decreases in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop curricula targeted specifically toward military families with very young children
Offer reintegration support groups for Service member parents based on children’s age so that Service members can find support from peers with similar homecoming experiences
Provide classes in which Service members and their partners are taught parenting skills in order to decrease parenting stress and increase parenting confidence
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage the use of parent education programs for military families that take into account the developmental age of children in the household
Continue to support programs that aim to enhance parenting in military families, particularly during transitions such as reintegration
Promote evaluation of the effectiveness of programs aimed at supporting military families with children of different ages
Methods
Potential participants were recruited during reintegration events in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Families were randomly assigned to receive an eight-module home-visiting program or to a waiting list.
Participants completed questionnaires regarding deployment characteristics, parenting, and mental health at baseline, after completion of the program, and 14 weeks later.
Data were compared between those who completed the program and those who were on the waitlist to determine the effect the program had on parents.
Participants
Participants were 115 Service members, their children, and 103 non-deployed at-home parents.
The Service members were White (76%), Latino (11%), Black (9%), multiracial (2%), or another race/ethnicity (2%), with an average age of 33.7 years (SD = 7.3).
Families had, on average, two children, at least one of whom was under six during the Service member’s deployment. Demographic information about the children was not reported.
Almost all (97%) of the Service members were members of the National Guard or Reserves, including affiliation with the Army (86%), Air Force (10%), Marines (3%), and Navy (1%).
Limitations
The sample consisted almost entirely of Guard or Reserve Service members, so results may not extend to an Active Duty population.
Participants were recruited from a limited geographic area of the country; this type of program may have different results for military families in other parts of the country.
Families chose to participate in the program. These families may differ from families who did not choose to participate in ways that may affect the results.
Avenues for Future Research
Investigate the use of a similar program in families of Active Duty Service members
Examine the effectiveness of this type of program if all Service members with children under six must participate
Obtain reports of children’s behavior to determine the effect of such a program on the children
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: Parenting through the deployment cycle presents unique stressors for military families. To date, few evidence-based and military-specific parenting programs are available to support parenting through cycles of deployment separation and reintegration, especially for National Guard/Reserve members. The purpose of this research was to test the efficacy of a parenting program developed specifically to support military families during reintegration. Method: Within 1 year of returning from deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq, 115 service members with very young children were randomly assigned to receive either the Strong Families Strong Forces Parenting Program at baseline or after a 12-week waiting period. Using a home-based modality, service members, at-home parents, and their young child were assessed at baseline, 3 months posttreatment/wait period, and 6 months from baseline. Results: Service member parents in Strong Families evidenced greater reductions in parenting stress and mental health distress relative to those in the waitlist comparison group. Service members with more posttraumatic stress symptoms reported higher levels of perceived parental efficacy in the intervention group than service members in the comparison group. Intervention also resulted in enhanced parental reflective capacity, including increased curiosity and interest in the young child among those in the intervention group relative to comparison. Conclusion: Service member parents and their spouses demonstrated high interest in participating in a postdeployment parenting program targeting families with very young children. Findings point to the feasibility, appeal, and efficacy of Strong Families in this initial trial and suggest promise for implementation in broader military and community service systems.
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