Emotional Effects of Deployment
on Children
National Military Family Association's recent pilot study, “Understanding the Impact of Deployment on Children and Families” (www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/2008/RAND_WR566.pdf ), conducted byAssociation by RAND speaks to the increased difficulties children and caregivers have dealing with deployments.
Excerpts below taken from “Raising Resilient Kids”, written by Lynne Michael Blum, PhD, Connected Kids LLC and Johns Hopkins University Military Child Initiative. http://www.jhsph.edu/mci/training_course/
Many students respond to the separation from parents as a grieving cycle. Studies show that students of deployed parents have increased anxiety, depression, and "acting out" behaviors; however, most students do not require long-term treatment. Those who were "emotionally vulnerable" before the deployment experienced an increase of symptoms during the deployment. On the other hand, some students and parents report they ultimately gain resilience from the experience. Students' reactions vary by age, maturity, and their ability to comprehend and cope with challenges.
Elementary school students (ages 6-8)
Studies indicate younger children are more vulnerable than older children during parental separation.[11] Younger children in particular may not understand exactly why a parent is deployed and why life is changing. They may also have a limited emotional vocabulary to articulate feelings. This age group:
· May frequently experience sadness and grief, and may be fearful for their own safety
· May have trouble sleeping, which may lead to irritability, poor attention span, and difficulties in school
· May feel deprived of attention and display clinging or regress in behavior
· May be confused and have difficulty putting words to feelings.
Middle school students (ages 9-12)
- May feel a compelling sense of loss, as well as a changing spectrum of ambivalent emotions
- May feel anger and resentment toward the parent who left as well as toward family members left behind
- Boys especially may experience increased feelings of responsibility, feelings of abandonment, increased aggression, and antisocial behaviors.
High school students (ages 13-18)
· Although teens may have better understanding than younger children of the reasons for separation, they may have limited coping skills to deal with the changes they experience.[12]
· Teens struggle to carry on with their daily responsibilities during deployments.
· Teens find it harder to participate in extra-curricular activities.
· Teens become most upset about changes or losses in relationships with the deployed parent.
· May have better understanding than younger children of the reasons for separation, but may have limited coping skills to deal with this information
· May distance themselves from others
· May feel resentful
· May have conflicting feelings of anger and pride
· Those who cope well may serve as a support for family members
Gender Related Responses
Some studies show daughters experience more war-related anxieties and express more separation anxiety than sons, though differences decrease with age; other studies show that sons experience greater difficulties and miss the presence of a deployed father.[9]
Living Without A Parent
In single-parent families or families where both parents are deployed, students will experience more changes and stress:
- They are displaced from home at the same time as being separated from a parent.
- Transition to a new home, new routines, and possibly new schools makes separation more difficult.
When Mom is Deployed
Since Operation Desert Storm, research—though limited—has focused on the effect that deployment of mothers has on their children.
Where did I take this from?
When operations started in Iraq, a generation of U.S. women became involved as never before; more than 155,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among their ranks are more than 16,000 single mothers, according to the Pentagon, a number that military experts say is unprecedented.
- Research found little difference in depression and anxiety among very young children of deployed Navy mothers, children of non-deployed military mothers, and children of civilian mothers.[13]
- Although they may have been sad during deployment, the effects did not indicate symptoms of psychopathology.
- In a Gulf War study, the main predictors of children's adjustment were the mother's difficulties with childcare, the mother's deployment in war, and degrees of change in children's lives.
- A two-year retrospective study suggested that the adverse effects of deployment are short-lived.[14]
Long-Term Consequences
Although children and youth experience more anxiety and depression during the deployment cycle, research has shown that they rarely suffer long-term consequences or require clinical attention because of parental deployment, however, research findings are limited at this time for the war in Iraq.
Predictors of Well-Being
Research on parental and family adjustment has been ongoing since World War II. Several factors emerge as predictors of students' well-being when dealing with military lifestyle challenges:
- The well-being and adjustment of the non-military spouse
- Whether the child and/or family had preexisting dysfunctions, including emotional and behavioral problems
- Whether the family has a strong support network
- How well the family accepts and believes they are a good "fit" with the military life and mission
- How strongly family members feel about service to their country—positive adjustment improves when family members believe strongly in their military purpose and community[17]
- The family's ability to cope with multiple deployments
The Home Front
Students' emotional stability throughout the deployment cycle is associated with the emotional stability of the non-deployed parent.[18] Research has shown that:
- Children's symptoms were significantly related to the symptoms of the parent who stayed home.[19]
- Many teens were concerned with how their remaining parent and other family members were coping and about the family finances.[20]
