Sheila's Impact On The Military Family

Kaplow, J. B., Layne, C. M., Saltzman, W. R., Cozza, S. J., & Pynoos, R. S. (2013). Using Multidimensional Grief Theory to Explore the Effects of Deployment, Reintegration, and Death on Military Youth and Families. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev, 16(3), 322-340. doi:10.1007/s10567-013-0143-1

The authors concluded that the shorter that dwell time, the harder it is for military families to maintain a stable relationship. The authors also provided helpful information on family support and how stress factors can be reduced when military families come across deployment.

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.

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children from military families have a higher risk of social, emotional and behavioral problems such as anxiety, depression and suicide ideation. Other reports have shown that military families also have a high rates of domestic violence, child abuse and spousal abuse. The immense strains and pressures of the military lifestyle create inconsistencies in the lives of military families that are often overlooked by those considering joining the military. Over the years the U.S government and other organizations have been doing ample research into family health in the military and effectively identifying and addressing critical issues that are faced by military families. Speaking from

Long absences can very often lead to complications in marriages and in relationships with children. Soldiers can miss very important moments because of a war, such as holidays and birthdays. The parent who is not at war also has to take on all of the responsibilities for home, children, and finance while their significant other is deployed. In addition to this, the parent who is left behind often finds themselves dealing with a change in behavior from their children, which is very likely a result from their other parent’s long absence. Many returning veterans blame the complications in their lives after their life in the military on their time deployed. It may seem insignificant, but this is a big reason why military force has an impact on the everyday lives of Americans who do not even serve for a military branch.

Deployments play a major role and are a real part of serving in the military. Some men deploy for a few months, most leave for over a year, and others deploy at higher rates, but for shorter amounts of time. During and after these times away from home, Foran et al. (2013) notes that it is crucial in making close relationships with fellow military member and to reach out to family to ensure an increase in personal conflict is less likely (p 154). According to Riggs and Sermanian (2012), the strength of the leadership within the unit and how they handle the various traumatic circumstances the service members encounter, may significantly contribute to the degree of the individuals PTSD severity over time (p 18). But when it comes to service members seeking help while deployed, it is very unlikely.

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).

Returning service members had issues such as “getting along with one’s spouse and children, taking care of one’s health and belonging in civilian society”. These matters create crucial tension in the service member’s and the family member’s life in addition to daily life as a civilian. (Kovatch, 2013) A study was done for both Army and Marines returning from combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). It was reported that 18% of active service members and 21% of Reserves and National Guard members had a “positive screen for mental health concerns on the Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA).”

Pincus et al. (2001) defined the deployment cycle as having the following 5 stages: pre-deployment, deployment, sustainment, redeployment, and lastly post-deployment. Morse (2006) expanded this cycle, emphasizing pre-deployment and post-deployment, to include the following 7 stages: Anticipation of Departure, Detachment and Withdrawal, Emotional Disorganization, Recovery and Stabilization, Anticipation of Return, Return Adjustment and Renegotiation, and lastly Reintegration and Stabilization. Both Pincus et al. (2001) and Morse (2006) found military wives having high anxiety during the post-deployment stage, while trying to comprehend how their husbands fit back into their lives. Vincenzes, Haddock, and Hickman (2014) found a positive relationship between duration of deployment and the wife’s psychological distress significantly increasing during the post-deployment period. Both military members as well as their family members experience an array of mental health problems due to deployment, such as stress and depression (Mansfield, 2010). A potential for regulating the relationship between psychological distress for military wives during the post-deployment period, may be with the variable of social support (Drummet et al., 2003; Vincenzes et al., 2014). Specifically, military wives at home may experience both positive and negative experiences concerning social support when separated from their husbands (Drummet et al., 2003; Skomorovsky, 2014; Vincenzes et al.,

For military veterans, reintegrating into a civilian lifestyle post-deployment comes with many different challenges. These challenges range from reconnecting with loved ones to receiving treatment for stress-induced mental health diagnoses. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) impacts thousands of military personnel, both active and veteran status, each year. Based on the DSM definition of PTSD, this diagnosis impacts both the sufferer’s life and also his or her close personal relationships. These negative impacts in addition to reintegration into civilian life can result in a greater difficulty with relationship reintegration. In a study done by Elliott, Gonzalez, and Larsen in 2011, PTSD was found to be a mediating variable between intimate relationship strain and combat exposure.

The direct effects of mental illnesses additionally represent an extensive, and frequently unanticipated, caregiver obligation. The effects of post-combat mental and cognitive conditions inevitably extend beyond the affected service member. As they try to continue with life, their injuries can wear down those with whom they interact, and those closest to the service member are likely to be the most extremely affected. There is an expansive scope of negative outcomes that post-combat mental disorders have had on the families of service members returning from conflicts. The brunt of the burden of service members with mental illness happens to fall on the people who are close to the individual, usually their spouses.

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,

Cozza, C. S., & Lerner, R. M. (2013). Military Children and Families: Introducing the Issue. The Future of Children, 23(2), 3-11. doi:10.1353/foc.2013.0016

War has tremendous effects on the human mind and impacts all parties involved. Remnants of war can dramatically affect relationships with loved ones and create greater problems ranging from financial problems to psychological damage that has more profound effects on the family infrastructure and its operation. The notion of war produces pressures and strains on the family that is not experienced everyday in the routine family life. Family member who experience PTSD from their service in the military also places unforeseen weights and consequences for the family to carry. There are specific effects distinct to a parent, a spouse, and children when a loved one is serving their country. The relationships between a service men and these family members are transformed with the absence and their reintegration.

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.