Effects of Deployments on Military Families

Military Families’ Emotional State Showing Signs of Strain

Research highlights opportunities for improved and targeted support

ALEXANDRIA, VA January 19, 2011— Months of wartime deployments are taking their toll on the spouses and children of military service members. A year-long study sponsored by the National Military Family Association and conducted by the RAND Corporation, finds military youth are experiencing higher than average emotional difficulties and anxiety symptoms compared to the national average. Additionally, the study revealed that youth whose parents had more cumulative months of deployment reported more difficulties. This reinforces the need for continued support services, even for the seasoned military families, that are specifically designed to address the strain of repeat separations.

Study youth and spouses cited the greatest stress on the military family is the absence of the service member at home. Nearly 70% of military teens and tweens who participated in the study report the greatest difficulties of deployment are dealing with life without their deployed parent and helping their nondeployed caregiver (in most instances, mom or dad) cope with life without the deployed parent. Many spouses (62%) in the study and more than half (54%) of the youth also cited that fitting the service member back into their lives at the end of the deployment was equally difficult. {continued}

The Rand Study: Views from the Homefront: The Experiences of Youth and Spouses from Military Families