Counselors Called for Service: Impact of Parental Deployment on Preschool Children

Children and families often experience stress from the physical or emotional absence of a parent due to deployment. The health of
the family system plays a vital role in the successful transition through deployment and redeployment phases. Even very young
children show signs of behavioral problems, sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms, and anxiety from parental deployment. This
article reviews the literature concerning the impact of parental deployment on preschool aged children and current interventions
and discusses implications for counselors assisting military families.