findings study supported the theory of ambiguous loss for understanding the temporary loss of a parent during employment for adolescents. Adolescents had to assume new roles and responsibilities which led to relationship conflict, felt a lot of uncertainty which led to behavioral outbursts, and tended to express symptoms of depression and anxiety. This study also provides guidelines for dealing with boundary ambiguity, mental health changes, relationship conflict, and feelings of uncertainty and loss. This study helps shed light on how adolescents experience parental deployment, providing invaluable insight to educators, and provides a description of the possible psychological effects of this ambiguous loss.
Chartrand, Frank, White, and Shope
…show more content…
(2010) explored the effect of deployments on the behavior of military connected children ages 1.5 to 5 years of age. This was a cross sectional study that took place in childcare centers on a large Marine base. The participants in this study were parents of and childcare providers of children enrolled in these child care centers. All parents of children enrolled at these centers were given information about the study and then those that were interested contacted the research assistant. Participants were excluded if their children had a known behavioral disorder or developmental disability, or if parents were members of the Reserve or National Guard. TO measure responses, parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Caregivers were asked to complete the CBCL-Teacher Report Form (TRF). The study found that children above the age of 3 that have a deployed parent have more behavioral issues compared to peers without deployed parents. This study recommended that future research takes a more longitudinal approach and studies the children before and after deployment, and to study the children of Reserve and National Guard service members, as this was a population excluded in this study. Chandra et al. (2009) described the “health and well-being of children from military families from the perspectives of the child and nondeployed parent. Second, we assess the experience of deployment for children and how it varies according to total months of deployment and military service component.” The researchers completed a telephone interview with military adolescents (11-17) and caregivers to assess well-being and difficulties with deployment. The results showed that children who participated in this study had more emotional difficulties than the national average. The results also showed that longer lengths of deployment correlated with a greater number of challenges for children. Additionally, “families that experienced more total months of parental deployment may benefit from targeted support to deal with stressors that emerge over time.” Jensen et al.
1991 researched whether or not military connected children suffered from higher levels of psychiatric symptoms, and whether they display more externalizing or internalizing disorders. They also sought to learn whether the same stressors that effect children also effect their parents. Additionally they sought to understand the different impacts different levels of service (whether an officer or enlisted soldier) had on the family. 213 children and their families were surveyed by mail using psychopathology rating scales. The reports of teachers and children were highly similar to national averages, however parents rated their children and themselves as having slightly higher levels of psychiatric symptoms. This study found that the rates of psychiatric symptoms were not greatly increased in children in military families, and provided no evidence of a military family syndrome. This study was limited by its heavy reliance on self report. This study is helpful in showing that there might not be as many negatives to being military connected as we might think and will help balance some of the other …show more content…
literature. The purpose the Flake, Davis, Johnson, and Middleton (2009) 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.” This study recruited army spouses of a deployed military member that had a child between the ages of 5 and 12 to complete a packet of demographic and psychosocial questions. The packets were formed based on the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Parental report showed that ⅓ children to be at risk while their parents were deployed. This was the “first study since 9-11 and the Global War on Terror to describe the school age children’s symptoms during current parental military deployment.” Subtheme: Reduced help-seeking in military families In addition to being at an increased risk, children of military connected families often do not receive the services they need. Within military communities there is an emphasis on the value of self reliance which can drive many to avoid seeking help, even if they need it (Becker et al. 2014; Flittner O’Grady 2015; Drummet, Coleman, and Cable, 2003) . An increased importance on self-reliance is not the only barrier to receiving necessary services that military families experience. There are concerns about “confidentiality, stigma, an ethic of self-reliance, and a perceived lack of relevance” of services (Becker et. al). Furthermore, there may be a lack of recognition that there is a problem (Flittner O’Grady 2015). Becker et al.
(2014) researched the barriers that prevent adolescents from receiving mental health services in military families. This study had three research populations. The first was military connected adolescents with at least one active duty parent. The second was military (nonenlisted) parents of teenagers with spouse or partner who was an active duty servicemember. The third population was service providers who provided mental health services to military connected children and families. The study conducted focus groups and interviews and allowed military family members the choice of which they wanted to participate in. Adolescents and family members were compensated $50 for their participation. Mental health service providers participated in individual structured interviews for which they were paid $100. Findings of this study showed four internal barriers: “confidentiality, stigma, an ethic of self-reliance, and lack of perceived relevance” (Becker et al. 2014). Becker et al. stated that their findings suggested that service providers should utilize a “multifaceted approach that considers issues of framing (e.g., describing events using universal language), provides education about the benefits of mental health treatment for the entire family (including the service member), and offers significant flexibility with regard to the timing cost, and location of services” (Becker et al., 2014). This article addresses the psychological issues many military connected
students face. Phases of deployment There are many challenges that military connected students face as a result of the deployment cycle. There are three phases of the deployment cycle, the anticipation phase, the deployment phase, and the reunification phase. It may be surprising to learn that the reunification phase is thought of as the most difficult, although each phase brings its own challenges. There is a lack of study on the anticipatory phase, and future research could look at the challenges of this phase, but the works in this literature review focus on the challenges faced in the deployment and the reunification phase. In the deployment phase, children often fear for the safety of the deployed parent. Meanwhile, these children have to adapt to new routines, and take on new roles and responsibilities. In addition, these children who are used to living in a two parent home now live in a one parent home and experience the financial and time strains that come with that (Faber, Willerton, Clymer, MacDermid, & Weiss 2008; Huebner et al. 2007; Knobloch et al. 2015; Mmari et al. 2009). Once the parent returns, the hardships do not cease. Parents who return from deployment often bring home negative experiences they may have had during deployment, and can oftentimes suffer from PTSD. Additionally, when the family member returns, roles and responsibilities once again adjust, as the family has to find a place for their loved one who they had developed routines that excluded him or her. This often leads to relationship turbulence and marital problems (Gerwirtz, Pinna, Hanson, and Brockberg 2014; Knobloch et al. 2015; Mmari et al. 2009; Faber, Willerton, Clymer, MacDermid, & Weiss 2008; Huebner et al. 2007; Chandra et al. 2010). Furthermore, there are many nontraditional families, such as single parent families, dual-military families, etc., that are military connected, but have largely been excluded from the research. The programs and supports that are available are not tailored to these nontraditional families and there is some evidence that these families are hit hardest by separation (Drummet, Coleman, & Cable 2003). Deployment is one of the factors of military life that has a significant impact on the mental health of the servicemember, and the mental health of their families. Mmari et al. (2009) sought to understand the issues families and adolescents face as well as find what coping methods are successful. The researchers used eleven focus groups composed of adolescents from military families, military parents, and school personnel at schools with high populations of military students at five military bases. The findings showed that the predominant cause of stress to these families and children was needing to adjust and readjust to new roles
In the article “Helicopter Parents Now Hover at the Office,” The Wall Street Journal columnist Sue Shellenbarger reveals that some parents have begun to involve themselves into their adult children’s job search. Shellenbarger explains that many parent have a hard time watching their child struggle since they have taken part in their daily lives for so long. She then describes that some children do not appreciate the hovering of their parents because the hovering prevents them from developing self independence.
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
During this time parents tend to begin to loosen their control on their children (Gillen, 2015), so that these emerging adults can find themselves. That being said some parents have a hard time letting go of their children and this causes a lot of tension. Emerging adults
Growing up I always had to deal with the fact that my father was involved in the military. My father was deployed twice: once in Germany, and later to Kuwait. I was only four years old when he first traveled and almost every day I asked where dad was. The second time I was fourteen, and I was devastated that my best friend wasn’t going to be home for a year. Both times he left, it was awful for my mom, my brother, and me because he was the one person that kept us together as a family and once he was gone we were just broken. A military family goes through more than a regular family does in a year. Those veterans have families, how do people think they feel. Children who live in a military family have a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental issues. Although many people believe that we should send our soldiers overseas to keep our country safe, there is no reason why our
Within a recent context, the intangible, and often dismissed damage that war inflicts on a soldier’s mental health, has been reaffirmed and reexamined. The invisible injuries of war, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression, have proven to be as deadly as noticeable damage, such as infections or wounds. This issue of the mental health has been given an increased importance in light of the gruesome influx of suicides and murders committed by unstable returning soldiers. With the potential increase of the United States’ military involvement in the Middle East being a relevant issue, it is incredibly important for all people, from those with direct power to those who have the sole power of their voice, to thoroughly understand the potential long-term repercussions that are involved with war, before committing men and women to fight in this conflict. Most crucially, society must ensure that proper care and services are made easily accessible for returning soldiers, in order to assist with their successful transition back to civilian
When we picture the United States Military we regard men and women in uniform fighting for our country. However, what we do not picture is the hidden problems. Stress of the job, members returning home from war, and combat create an increased stress level that can result in abusing substances and cause behavioral problems. The military has recognized that this has become a problem and is now taking steps to ensure their members safety.
Many children are born into families that are a part of a branch of the military. Parents may wonder if the constant moving and deployment will bring negative effects on a child’s development. The rigorous lifestyle of the military can have negative effects on the children’s development growing up, but the opportunity of living as a military child is a culturally diverse, socially strong, and mature development of characteristics. The military life offers many benefits for raising a child. Have a family in the military lifestyle can greatly help the children’s development of positives characteristics.
Seal, Karen H., Daniel Bertenthal, Christian R. Miner, Saunak Sen, and Charles Marmar. "Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities." Archives of Internal Medicine 167.5 (2007): 476-82. Print.
Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one wink because every time you close your eyes you are forced to relive memories from the past that you are trying to bury deep. This is what happens to the unfortunate men and women who are struggling with PTSD. Veterans that are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder deserve the help they need.
Military children are in a league of their own, and at very young ages are thrown into situations of great stress. Approximately 1.2 million children live in the U.S. Military families (Kelly. 2003) and at least 700,000 of them have had at least one parent deployed (Johnson et al. 2007). Every child handles a deployment differently, some may regress in potty training, and others may become extremely aggressive. Many different things can happen, in most cases when a parent deploys and the child becomes difficult to handle, it can cause a massive amount of stress on the parent that is not deployed as well as added stress on the parent who is deployed. There are three stages of a deployment, pre-deployment, deployment, and reintegration, being educated on these three things can make a deployment “run” smoothly for the entire family.
Montgomery, Ann Elizabeth, et al. "Relationship Among Adverse Childhood Experiences, History Of Active Military Service, And Adult Outcomes: Homelessness, Mental Health, And Physical Health." American Journal Of Public Health 103.S2 (2013): S262-S268. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
Mental health conditions, traumatic brain injury, and suicide risk are significantly higher in recent wartime veterans, especially when compared to veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf War periods. The “healthy soldier effect” used to mean that veterans had lower overall mortality rates compared to the general population. However, suicide risk is not included in this effect any longer. Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn
Upon evaluation, the journal article “ Mental Health in Deployed and Non-deployed Veteran Men and Women in Comparison With their Civilian Counterparts” by Mark W. Hoglund and Rebecca M. Schwartz published by Military Medicine in Volume 19 proves to be a moderately reliable source due to the academic presentation which includes data, personal interviews, qualified sources and a balanced argument that have points that support their argument. Mark W. Hoglund was a project manager for Family Health services, he served as a Human Resources professional in three different organizations, and studies Adult Career planning and Development. Rebecca M. Schwartz is a clinical psychologist, assistant professor, and a graduate of public health. Although Schwartz never served in military and majority of her studies are for HIV in kids and women this leads her to have lot of information about the mental being.
In the Olson family, John the main provider of the home lost his job and he was not being able to accommodate to his new role of being unemployed. Based on the lecture (2015), one of the assumptions on Family Development Theory is that individuals in families will experience changes over time. In John’s situation, losing his job, and losing his daughter changed his development. According to Smith and Hamon (2012), Family Development Theory has shown that transitions in life provide the opportunity to confront change. They explained that transitions cause role changes in the life of individuals (Smith and Hamon 2012). In John’s situation, he experienced a transition from being the well-educated husband with a great job, to become a stay home husband who is unemployed. In an ideal world, John’s life transition should have been that he became the manager of the company where he was working. However, when the transition of his life took the wrong shift, John’s situation became complicated because he was not ready for such a drastic transition. He was not mentally ready to take the roll of his wife. Smith and Hamon (2012) point out that people have choices on how they respond to transitions; they can respond to transitions as a way to find new horizons or they can take a negative approach. John found his transition as a difficult time of his life; he was not able to accommodate to his new
The purpose of this study was to examine if self-system beliefs such as fear of abandonment, self-esteem, and coping efficacy had an effect on current stressors and the child-caregiver relationship in children who recently lost a parent. The authors hypothesized that self-system beliefs mediate the effects of stressors and the child-caregiver relationship on children’s mental health problems. The participants consisted of both children and adolescents from parentally bereaved families. The study measured stressors such as economic troubles and emotional turmoil, the quality of the child-caregiver relationship, self-system beliefs such as coping efficacy, self-esteem, and fear of abandonment, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems.