Publication year
2009
Citation Title
The psychosocial effects of deployment on military children.
Journal Name
Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
Journal Volume
30
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
271-278
DOI
10.1097/DBP.0b013e3181aac6e4
Summary
Army parents with deployed spouses reported on the psychosocial functioning of their elementary school aged children using standardized psychosocial health and stress measures. The results were compared to a national sample, and used to identify potential predictors of those children at “high risk” for psychosocial morbidity during wartime deployment of a parent. Analysis of parent reports suggests that children with a deployed parent had significantly higher levels of psychosocial difficulties, and that caregiving parents had more parenting stress and overall life stress than a comparable national sample.
Key Findings
Per parental report, children with a deployed parent had significantly higher levels of physical, emotional, and psychosocial difficulties than a national sample.
Higher levels of parenting stress predicted poorer psychosocial functioning among children.
The 33 (out of 101) children identified as high risk in this sample were more likely to have parents who perceived poor military or community support, had less education, and were young spouses of enlisted Service members.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer curriculum aimed at assisting spouses of deployed Service members with managing stresses during deployment to minimize difficulties for both spouses and children
Provide specific modules on managing parenting stress during deployment such as the usefulness of self-care activities, peer support, informal networks of support, and physical exercise
Offer support groups for military children struggling to cope with the deployment of a parent
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend extending resources to at-home parents to help them with the stressors associated with single parenting during the Service member’s absence
Encourage regular communication and collaboration between at-home parents and school personnel, especially during deployments.
Continue to support programs that offer services to military families throughout the deployment cycle
Methods
Spouses of deployed Army members with a child between five and 12 years of age were recruited through a large military installation in the northwest U.S.
Parent self-report surveys were used to assess child psychosocial functioning, parent stress, overall life stress, and demographic variables.
Parent reports were compared to national standardized norms.
Participants
One hundred and one parents with a deployed Army spouse (86% Female; 65% White, 13% Latino/Latina, 9% Asian-American, 9% Black, 4% other)
Children ranged in age from 5 to 12 years (Mean = 8.6, SD = 2.2); No data reported on parent age.
The majority of the sample were enlisted Service members (77%); 67% deployed within last six months, while 33% deployed within last 15 months.
Limitations
As cross-sectional data were used, the direction of effects cannot be established; it may be that having a child with more difficulties results in more stress for parents.
Measures of psychosocial difficulties in children were reported by parents, not measured clinically; parental stress levels may interfere with their perceptions of a child’s distress.
This was a self-selected, convenience sample in one location. Participants may differ from non-participants in important ways that were not assessed.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore if parenting stress during deployment(s) has long-term effects on child psychosocial functioning
Investigate whether families of non-deployed Service members report similar stress as families of deployed Service members
Include a wider age range of children, additional locations, and differences in military rank and service branch
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Objective: The impact of the Global War on Terror on two million U.S. military children remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe the psychosocial profile of school age children during parental deployment utilizing standardized psychosocial health and stress measures, and to identify predictors of children at “high risk” for psychosocial morbidity during wartime deployment. Methods: Army spouses with a deployed service member and a child aged 5–12 years completed a deployment packet consisting of demographic and psychosocial questions. The psychosocial health measures included the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form and the Perceived Stress Scale-4. Results: Overall, 32% of respondents exceeded the PSC cut off score for their child, indicating “high risk” for psychosocial morbidity and 42% reported “high risk” stress on the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form. Parenting stress significantly predicted an increase in child psychosocial morbidity (odds ratio 7.41, confidence interval 2.9–19.0, p < 0.01). Parents utilizing military support reported less child psychosocial morbidity (odds ratio 0.32, confidence interval 0.13–0.77, p < 0.01) and parental college education was related to a decrease in child psychosocial morbidity (odds ratio 0.33, confidence interval 0.13–0.81, p < 0.02). The effects of military rank, child gender, child age, and race or ethnic background did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Families in this study experiencing deployment identified one-third of military children at “high risk” for psychosocial morbidity. The most significant predictor of child psychosocial functioning during wartime deployment was parenting stress. Military, family and community supports help mitigate family stress during periods of deployment.
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