Military Service, War, and Families: Considerations for Child Development, Prevention and Intervention, and Public Health Policy

Excerpt

With over a decade at war, the longest in the US history, the implications of wartime service for military-connected children and families have emerged as a priority not only for the military community, but also for our national community. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have ushered in a new era of challenges for service members and their families. For an all-volunteer force engaged in prolonged wartime operations, multiple deployments may cumulatively span years across a child and family’s development (Maholmes 2012). Research on returning service members demonstrates an increased risk (estimated to be up to 30 %) for combat-related psychological health problems and traumatic brain injuries (Adamson et al. 2008; Tanielian et al. 2013), and the risk for suicide within the veteran population continues to rise, with recent reports documenting 22 suicide-related deaths each day (Kemp and Bossarte 2012). Furthermore, advances in injury care have improved survival rates for severe physical injuries, with long-term implications for service members, veterans, and their caregiving families (Tanielian et al. 2013). Just as for service members serving in wartime operations, families too may experience the hardships of deployment and reintegration transitions in the context of dangerous duties. These challenges may be compounded by the impact of psychological and physical injury, and, for some, the profound impact of a loved one’s death. And while the last decade has raised public awareness and accelerated research regarding the needs of military-connected children and families, there is still much we do not know about the specific and long-term impact of modern military service and how to preventively and strategically intervene to mitigate risk and promote resilience. Furthermore, developing a systemic and integrated public health approach that provides access to a continuum of high-quality care for military and veteran families over time remains an unmet challenge. …