9/11: Deployments In The United States

The main problem discovered is military members are experiencing psychological problems from stressors due to deployments and not seeking help for their discomforts. Many of the military members returning

To summarize (Kaplow, Layne, Saltztman, Cozza & Pynoos, 2013, p. 322-340) this article looks at how grief through exposure to loss due to combat fights, loss of fellow unit members, or the loss of a service member can affect a service member or military family during deployment and reintegration phases. The article goes on to discuss some of the stresses that can increase due to deployments such as martial conflicts, abuse or neglect, and mental health problems stemming from both spouses or children. More military children function equally as well as their civilian counterparts, except during times of deployment where they experience more emotional and behavioral problems. The article looks at three key areas Separation distress characterized as missing the deceased. Existential/Identity Distress finding meaning or fulfillment, or taking on roles left by the deceased. Circumstance-Related Distress characterized as emotional pain brought on by how the deceased passed. The article furthermore looks into how the age of the military children plays into their separation distress. Followed by their existential/identity Distress may be disrupted by new

Allen, E. S., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2010). Hitting home: Relationships between recent deployment, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and marital functioning for Army couples. Journal Of Family Psychology, 24(3), 280-288. doi:10.1037/a0019405

Deployments to war-zones change service members and their families. Some of the transformation are positive, for example, individual and career growth due to

There is a large amount of military families around the world. About Forty- three percent of active military members have children (Website). These children face so many challenges and struggles in their life while having a parent in the military. Children of Active duty military members exhibit anxiety, depression and stress just as much as the service members and spouses experience. For instance the children experience going through multiple deployments, long separations, frequent moves and awkward reunions when their parents return home from deployment. Even more so if the parent has been physically or mentally traumatized from overseas.

“Studies of OEF/OIF combat veterans have revealed that rates of PTSD are higher in deployed soldiers compared to non-deployed soldiers (Buchanan, C. et al., p.743).” Unfortunately, in some cases, military spouses are not fully aware of the symptoms for PTSD. Some feel powerless and unsure on what to do when symptoms begin damaging their relationship with their love one. Broadly speaking, military couples who are challenged with a deployment suffer more stress which may lead to PTSD when they do not know how to obtain support when needed, have lower income, and are not satisfied with the military and it's missions. Other factors that may dictate the degree of stress for military couples facing a deployment are income, education, and rank. Couples who have had prior military experience such as having military parents or serving a number of years preceding a deployment may adapt well to the demands of military life. Overall, relationship satisfaction may result if couples possess excellent communication and marital quality. Greater emphasis on military assistance has been to shown to reduce stress in couples, but spouses who perceive the military as being “less concerned” for them and their love one usually experience higher levels of stress. Also, unenthusiastic emotions toward the mission in the middle east can be related to greater stress in couples. “Negative attitudes toward the U.S. Missions in Iraq and Afghanistan were associated with more stress (Allen, E.

The recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been experienced not only on the battlefield but when they return, the war comes home with them. Military service members have to deal with the emotional and physical scars and the multiple civilian

According to the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, in their report “The Influence of Depressive Symptoms on Suicidal Ideation Among U.S. Vietnam Era and Afghanistan/Iraq Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,” “Veterans with PTSD are more likely to have social, occupational, and functional difficulties, including social isolation, frequent interpersonal altercations, and suicidal ideation” (Pukay-Martin 578). In other words, veterans may lose interest in things they once enjoyed, they may become very isolated and irritable, jittery, fearful, and have frequent nightmares that may prevent them from sleeping properly, all of which are elements of a dissatisfying lifestyle (“PTSD”). These serious hindrances to the potential of a healthy lifestyle can have even worse consequences, as they may have a devastating impact on family life. Finley maintains that “families of veterans with PTSD were hard hit with divorce, substance abuse, and violence[...where veterans and spouses had] lower relationship satisfaction[...and] many older veterans with PTSD had gone through three or four marriages over the course of their lives” (Finley). One can only imagine the pain and suffering that a normal individual would feel from the effects of divorce, let alone going through divorce several times. Veterans,

Intro: There are almost two and a half million Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF ), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation New Dawn (OND) veterans in the United States (DoD, 2014). Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are signature wounds of these military operations, and are commonly referred to as “invisible wounds of war” (Tanielian et al 2008, from bello have another?-). OEF, OIF, and OND consisted of the longest and most frequent deployments in U.S. History with forty-eight percent of veterans having served at least two deployments (DoD, 2013). Children’s and non-deployed parent’s ability to cope and adapt to the deployment decreases as the length and frequency of deployments increase (Chandra, Martin, Hawkins, & Richardson, 2010; Lester et al., 2010). Children 's and partner 's stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression increase as the length of their loved one 's deployment increases (Gorman, Blow, Ames, & Reed, 2011; Mansfield, Kaufman, Engel, & Gaynes, 2011; Lester et al, 2010). Support from within the military branches, Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, extended family, health care providers, schools, and other social infrastructues/institutions within the community is critical for healthy family functioning and the future of military-connected children (MC).

These challenges could be the result of another finding in which the spouses of veterans diagnosed with PTSD reported seeing their significant other as a different person post-deployment compared to pre-deployment (Yambo, Johnson, Delaney, Hamilton, Miller, & York, 2016). An unshared experience, such as combat, can also lead to relationship disconnect. Those who struggle with PTSD have a significantly higher perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness than military personnel who have never been diagnosed with PTSD (Bryan, 2011). These emotions are consistent with Pease, Billera, and Gerard’s 2015 study, which found that many military personnel feel isolated, disconnected, misunderstood, and out of place upon returning to a family lifestyle and that marriage increases the difficulty in civilian life reintegration. In our opinion, a diagnosis of PTSD amplifies the challenges of relationship

Living with a partner with PTSD can be difficult, especially if a spouse is uneducated about the disorder and does not know how to react to the significant changes in their spouse. This type of behavior and interaction within the marriage can cause significant stress on both the veteran as well as the spouse. Spouses of returning veterans may also experience a feeling of being overwhelmed being the head of the household and managing the household finances (Department of VA affairs, 2011). Some spouses also feel isolated from friends and family, because they feel an obligation to take care of their husbands or wives and makes them feel isolated from family. Early research on PTSD has shown a harmful effect of PTSD on families (Hayes, Wakefield, Andresen, Scherrer, Traylor, Wiegmann, Demark, & DeSouza, 2010).

Materials and methods included “a convenience sample of 130 participants from military installations in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States” All were female, age 18 and older with an active duty classification. The authors used a transactional system of analysis using a perceived stress scale, PSS-10. Further, a once only study interval, with no trials involved. Consequently, the authors sought a form survey and used a t-test in determination. The authors’ claimed construct validity was achieved by supporting material result with higher stress levels in deployed serviceman spouses (p < .001). Somatization also significantly higher in spouses of deployed

Following the events of September 11th, 2001, over 1.64 million United States Americans have been deployed in a war known as the Operation Enduring Freedom, the longest United States military operation since Vietnam (Hauser, Ferris, Gunten, & Roenn, 2012). For veterans and warriors returning from war, research indicates that the psychological toll of Operation Enduring Freedom has been unlike previous military operations. Not only has the number of veterans deployed on multiple tours of combat duty grown to its largest in American history, the number of cases connected to combat related stress in comparison to actual physical injuries have become disproportionately high (Carey, 2016; Norris & Slone, 2013). Over 20% of veterans who served in

Deployment and integration are one the greatest challenges military families and children have to face on a daily basis. When a family member deploys or reintegrates within the entire family, it not only affects the service member but it affects the entire family. Deployment can often lead to families and children, experiencing a negative mental health outcomes and compromised wellbeing. Bello (2015) found that most families and children (80.5% required less than one month to adjust to the return of their deployed parent (Bello, 2015). Accordingly, the families and children are often quick to adjust to having their family member back in the home. Interestingly, discoveries are surprising in light of the fact that when contrasted to another family, the discoveries are definitely unique. Boberiene (2014) found that three out of every four families feel that reintegration after the first three months is the most stressful phase of a deployment (Boberiene, 2014). This is because the family experiences many emotions while the member is away.

In an article entitled “ Gone To War: Have Deployments Increased Divorces?” the authors stated that among families from post 9/11, those who experienced a post 9/11 deployment of 12 months has a 28% higher divorce rate after 3 years of marriage. (Hosek and Negrusa) 97% of all soldiers and spouse divorces occurred after the soldier returned from deployment. The risk is increased by more cumulative months of deployment and hostile environments