Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Dilemmas families face in talking with returning U.S. Military service members about seeking professional help for mental health issues.
Journal Name
Health Communication
Journal Volume
30
Issue Number
8
Page Numbers
772-783
DOI
10.1080/10410236.2014.899659
Summary
Potential dilemmas family members may experience when talking with returning Service members about their mental health were addressed. Family members of Service members who served in Iraq or Afghanistan read a scenario where their Service member was displaying posttraumatic stress disorder or depression symptoms. Participants described goals they would pursue, barriers they might encounter, and strategies they would employ in such a situation.
Key Findings
Generally, findings indicated that family members reported using four groups of strategies to manage these dilemmas.
The first two groups of strategies, nonjudgmental listening and respect, focused on different aspects of communication with Service member about mental health.
The third set of strategies focused on family members framing the discussions with Service members in a positive and cooperative manner.
The last group of strategies related to family members seeking out the help of third parties, such as a religious resource or another Service member or Veteran.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer pre and post-deployment support groups for family and Service members to discuss potential difficulties coping with stress
Continue providing opportunities for previously returned Service member to talk with other Service members about stress and coping
Provide concrete information on normative versus problematic responses to deployment and strategies to address the deployment-related distress
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue support for research that addresses the unique challenges faced by family members of Service member who have served in combat
Recommend education of professionals who work with military families on the needs of family members of Service members in talking about stress and coping
Encourage the development and continuation of programs that can promote resilience in Service members, their partners and children
Methods
Participants were recruited by sending e-mails to Family Readiness Coordinators and chaplains.
Open-ended questions were asked regarding potential goals, possible reasons behind behaviors, and advice for others in the context of the hypothetical scenario.
All members of the research team analyzed the open-ended responses for both the dilemmas and strategies by independently identifying themes based upon common language used by the participants.
Participants
Participants had to be at least 18 years old, have a family member who had served in either Iraq or Afghanistan in the past five years, and complete an online survey.
Out of the 80 participants, most were female (94%) and not in the U.S. Military themselves (94%); their average age was 44.59 years old and 85% percent were White.
Participants were Service members’ partner (49%), parent (40%), sibling (5%), child (2%), and other (4%).
Limitations
The dilemmas used in the study were general enough to be relevant to all family roles, but did not address unique situations experienced by spouses, parents, and siblings.
The focus of the study was on family members’ experiences, not the Service members’ possible mental health issues. Therefore, it's unclear how the findings are linked with Service members' symptoms.
Not all participants had actually confronted a real situation like the scenario, so follow-up questions or probes could not be asked.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore unique family role situations (e.g., spouses, parents) in talking with Service members about mental health
Gather data from both family members and Service members to provide insight into what strategies Service members find helpful
Examine how third parties (e.g., Veterans, other Service members) can be part of the ongoing mental health support of returning Service members
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Drawing on Goldsmith’s (2004) normative theory, this article maps dilemmas family members experience when talking with returning service members (SMs) about seeking mental health care. Eighty family members of United States SMs who served in Iraq or Afghanistan read a scenario where their SM was displaying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression symptoms. Participants described goals they would pursue, barriers they might encounter, and advice they would give others in the situation. Four dilemmas of talking about mental health emerged: (a) getting you to recognize the problem without implying you’re not normal, (b) convincing you to seek help without implying you’re weak, (c) being persistent but patient, and (d) wanting you to open up without implying I can understand. Family members reported using four groups of strategies to manage these dilemmas. Directions for expanding the concept of dilemmas as “paradoxes” and for supporting military families as well as rethinking policy assumptions are discussed.
Abstract Document
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