EditorialSupport for Adolescents Who Experience Parental Military Deployment
Section snippets
Effects of Parental Deployment on the Family
Parental absence from the home because of military deployment places added stress on family dynamics, and on the time and ability to parent [3], [4], [5], [6]. Particularly with military families, many factors mediate or exacerbate the stresses on the adolescent associated with deployment-induced separation, but primary is the fear of parental death or injury [4], [7], [8]. Research related to military families from prior conflicts has consistently pointed to the difficulties with war-induced
Adolescent Responses to Parental Military Deployment
A total of 66% of adolescents from military families were reported to be distressed by the war; however, only 22% reported difficulty in coping with the experience [20]. One study specifically examined the effect of war-induced separation on adolescents and found that they perceived deployment as a negative event in their lives, reported behavior changes when a parent was deployed (changes in school performance as well as symptoms consistent with depression), and experienced a general increase
Effect of School Staff on Adolescents Associated With Parental Deployments
The article by Chandra et al in this month's issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health advances an understanding of the role and importance of school staff in support of adolescent growth and development, as well as promotion of a healthy environment and positive role modeling for those experiencing parental separation as a result of military deployment. As most children spend a majority of their day in school, the support of the staff for military families is crucial. Chandra et al, articulate
Recommendations
Communication is a key component to adolescent health, as is addressing the fear of the unknown. In the current information age of global connectivity and complexity, adolescent fear is compounded by a plethora of media reports. Too often, children are unaware of their parent's specific job and are often left wondering, confused, and in need of emotional support. Communication is important in preparing, counseling, and assisting the adolescent to cope with parental absence and the fear of
Future Areas of Research
Future research can focus on understanding and exploring the effects of parental military deployment on the adolescent child, the needs of spouses and caregivers, and the role and responsibility for extended communities of school, military units, neighborhoods, and cultural affiliations. Most military family research is predominantly with fathers, and gender-specific research, maternal separation, and when dual military families have both parents deployed are underreported in the current
Conclusions
Military families today are different in that they are not always the stereotypical nuclear family of parents and children. They mirror today's society and are composed of varying types of relationships – grandparents, single parents, teen pregnancy/off-spring, relationships with ex-spouses, siblings, step/half siblings, extended family living together, homosexual relationships within the family, adoptions, multicultural differences, etc. The role of the parent-soldier, existing within the
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Women service members, veterans, and their families: What we know now
2016, Nurse Education TodayCitation Excerpt :The American Psychological Association presidential task force on military deployment services found that children and adolescents experience increased stress throughout these stages creating concern over their long term mental, physical, and behavioral effects (Riggs & Riggs, 2011). Risk factors that may contribute to increased stress response include the mental and physical health of the stay at home caregiver, deployment to a war zone, the developmental stage/age of the child/adolescent, the length of deployment, uncertainty about deployment, financial stress, and education level of the caregiver (Chandra, Martin, Hawkins, & Richardson, 2010; Johnson, & Ling, 2012; Lester et al., 2013; Lincoln, Swift, & Shorteno-Fraser, 2008; Ternus, 2010). While previous studies have focused on fathers' deployment there is limited data on the impact of mothers' deployment on children.
“I Serve 2”: Meeting the needs of military children in civilian practice
2016, Nursing OutlookCitation Excerpt :Since September 11, 2001, evidence demonstrates that the rates of abuse and neglect among military children have exceeded those of civilian children (Flake et al., 2009; Johnson & Ling, 2013). Since the onset of military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, 33% of military children have been considered “at risk” or “high risk” for psychosocial morbidity or maltreatment, which is an increase from previous years (Flake et al., 2009; Ternus, 2010). Thus, knowledge regarding the deployment cycle and its associated risks and vulnerabilities is critical to ensuring the health and well-being of military children.
Caring for military children in the emergency department: The essentials
2013, Journal of Emergency NursingCitation Excerpt :Risk factors for abuse and neglect can often be elicited during intake of demographic information or one’s personal/family history. Parent/caregiver risk factors include immature or stressed parents or caregivers and those with poor coping skills or mental illness.21,26,27 Other parent predictors include young parents, parents who have not been married long, single parents, and financial stressors such as lower socioeconomic status.3
Army spouses: Military families during the global war on terror
2023, Army Spouses: Military Families during the Global War on TerrorParental Absence and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Social Support, Social Constraints and Sense-Making
2018, Journal of Child and Family StudiesI Serve 2: Identifying and caring for military-connected children in civilian primary care settings
2018, Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not reflect the views or official position of the Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.