Aaniyah Hicks English Comp Professor Morales 4/5/24 The Military Affecting Families Mental Health The effects of military service on family mental health are profound and multifaceted, with deployments, frequent moves, and the demands of the military lifestyle all contributing to the challenges that military families face. In this essay, we will delve deeper into the ways in which these factors impact family mental health, explore potential strategies for addressing these challenges, and consider the importance of supporting military families in maintaining their well-being. One significant way in which military service can impact family mental health is through the strain of frequent moves and deployments. The constant uprooting of families can lead to feelings of instability, isolation, and difficulty in maintaining relationships with extended family and friends. …show more content…
The physical danger and emotional stress that service members encounter while deployed can lead to feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. For families left behind, the absence of a parent or spouse during deployment can be especially taxing, resulting in emotional distress and behavioral difficulties, particularly for children. The disruption of the family unit during deployment can create a sense of instability and uncertainty, further increasing the mental health challenges faced by military families. In this research, we will delve deeper into the ways in which these factors impact family mental health, explore potential strategies for addressing these challenges, and consider the importance of supporting military families in maintaining their well-being. Military families sacrifice a great deal in service to their country, and it is crucial that we recognize and address the unique mental health challenges they
When Military fathers or mothers return from military deployment, there is usually a significant amount of adjustment needed to be made. Depending on the length of stay while deployed, many families find themselves having to re-adjust to having their loved one back home again.
Life is colorful and adventurous, especially if you belong to the military life style. Belonging to the military community for nearly two decades has given me a different outlook on each place we end up. Outdoor enthusiasts, like most military families are, make Colorado Springs a desirable duty stationed. The perfect location Colorado Springs has. The weather offers many clear, beautiful days, allowing Colorado Springs to be a playground to enjoy most of the year round. Many points of interest and vacation sights that can be done in or around Colorado Springs make it a favorite in the military community.
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.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a devastating anxiety disorder that affects many active military personnel and veterans. In many cases Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) goes untreated often due to the individual not realizing that they are being affected by the disorder, or by the individual having previous failed attempts at treatment. Even though PTSD is now being recognized as a disorder that affects many soldiers, the disorder's effect on family is not as widely recognized. The spouses and children of individuals with PTSD often experience similar negative symptoms of the disorder; this is referred to as secondary traumatization or compassion fatigue. Many families of active military personnel and veterans suffering from PTSD appear to have secondary traumatization, as they experience similar symptoms and feelings of loneliness, which leads to them feeling as though they are also suffering from the disorder.
Motherhood and the Acceptance of Mothers in the Military Being a mother in the military has always had controversy. Some believe that mothers should refrain from this violence and stay in civilian life to raise their children, while others believe that it’s a woman’s right to choose this career. Kara Dixon Vuic’s article, “ “I’m afraid we’re going to have to just change our ways”: Marriage, Motherhood, and Pregnancy in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War” examines female nurses in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War who helped pave the way for wives and mothers to be more integrated into the Army. In comparison, Michelle L. Kelley’s (et al.) The article “Navy Mothers Experiencing and Not Experiencing Deployment: Reasons for Staying in or Leaving the Military,” is a survey on the many reasons why navy mothers would choose to leave or stay in the army.
The standard military family understands the fact that their veteran will be not only deployed, but put in some of the most dangerous situations in history. However, in the midst of the danger a stronger bond and sense of survival builds inside each member of the family. When a family is dealing with having to accept that a member of their family will die for their protection, a new understanding of life is gained and accepted. In my life, I have had to say goodbye to my father, and have him absent from my life for over three years. Three whole years in which communication was limited and assurance of safety was not a thing. During these times I was faced with all the negatives of the military life, and personally felt that the military was
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.
Anytime a child is away from their parent whether it is to spend time with friends, while parents are at work or during school children tend to get emotional. Parents that are in active in the military can never be sure how much time they have to spend with their families. Separation anxiety is something that affects both child and parent negatively, and there is only so much you can do to prepare for it. Being deployed in the military is honorable but it will take a toll of on a family, especially a developing child.
Seal, K. H., Bertenthal, D., Miner, C. R., Sen, S., & Marmar, C. (2007). 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), 476-482. doi: 10.1001/archinte.167.5.476
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.
Aaniyah Hicks English Comp Professor Morales 4/5/24 Military Affecting Families Mental Health The demanding nature of military service can have a significant impact on service members and their families, especially in terms of mental health. Deployments, long separations, and the stress of the military lifestyle can all contribute to mental health issues within military families.
Military wives are perceived as stay at home moms that sit at home all day and take care of the kids. My views on the wives of soldiers is that they are pretty much single parents while their husbands are deployed. The wives are expected to keep the house up and running by doing the housework, cooking, cleaning and caring for the children. People on the outside looking in may think that all of the wives are unemployed and living off of their husbands. The wives are forced to deal with all the duties that, are they are supposed to share as a couple. In situations like this the wife may feel extremely overwhelmed, but the additional workload along with the work that she was doing before their husband was deployed. The conduction
Mental health issues in the US military are a significant problem that often go untreated or under-treated. The military culture places a strong emphasis on toughness and resilience, which can discourage service members from seeking help for mental health issues due to fear of harm in their career prospects or damage to their reputation. The consequences of untreated mental health issues are severe and can have a lasting impact on service members and their families. Studies have shown that untreated mental health problems can lead to higher rates of suicide, substance abuse, and relationship problems among military personnel. These issues can also have a negative impact on a service member's performance and readiness for duty, which can have
The communities that I belong to, here in the United States, are the military community and the Pacific Islander community. I am currently on active duty in the Air Force and living on base housing at Hill AFB, Utah. It’s a peaceful and secured neighborhood because we live inside the base, behind the fence and benefitting on military level security. I currently don’t have a Bachelor’s Degree Major that I am working on and for now am just working on my Associates Degree in Aircraft Armament Systems. Presently, I am taking 2 classes this semester at Park University Online.