Little is known about the family-related stress and postdeployment adjustment of single versus partnered parents deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
An examination of 318 single (n = 74) and partnered (n = 244) parents exposure to family-related stressors during and after deployment and post-deployment psychological symptoms was conducted. The sample included Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
As a diagnosis, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with violence committed by veterans in many studies; however, a potential link to specific PTSD symptoms has received relatively less attention.
Several studies have demonstrated a link between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and aggressive, violent behavior among Veterans. Data from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans were used to examine the association between specific PTSD symptoms and family and stranger violence.
Children of U.S. military families are exposed to unique challenges and stressors directly related to their parents' wartime deployments, potentially placing them at higher risk for psychosocial disruption.
Self-report data from parent and youth were utilized to investigate the effects of parental military deployment on adolescents' psychosocial difficulties (internalizing symptoms like depression and anxiety and externalizing symptoms like school and attention problems).
Purpose: With nearly 3 million US troops having deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) since the conflicts began, an estimated 2 million children have been separated from a parent.
A workshop was held for school counselors to train them on best practices for helping children with a deployed parent. Attendees participated in discussion groups about their own experiences and rated the usefulness of the training for their careers.
Family-centered preventive interventions have been proposed as relevant to mitigating psychological health risk and promoting resilience in military families facing wartime deployment and reintegration.
The impact of a family centered prevention program, Families OverComing Under Stress Family Resilience Training (FOCUS), on the psychological adjustment of military children and parents was examined.