Military Families

by Eu R. Choo, M.A., Doctoral Student, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, USMC ; and Marianne Cook, LICSW, Clinician, Harvard University Mental Health Service

U.S. service members and their families face unique life challenges. Whether it involves conflicts between military duties and family responsibilities, frequent relocations among duty stations, separation during deployments, or the injury or even death of loved ones, military families face major emotional and psychological stress. A number of service members develop conditions such as depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is also a significant level of suicide and relationship violence in military families. The mental health field and the military are paying increasing attention to these problems.

In addition to dealing with typical family issues, military families are often asked to endure stressful events over which they have only limited control. Sudden relocations and repeated deployments are common experiences for these families, whether it is wartime or not. Prolonged separation between service members and their loved ones can put a serious strain on family relationships. Partners and children at home may fear that their service member will get hurt or killed. In addition, partners often end up as single parents for extended periods of time. If the service member returns home, reintegrating him or her into the family—and the community—can be very difficult, since both sides have gone through major changes during the separation. In other cases, the service member does not return, and the family experiences loss and grief. These situations contribute to the heightened incidence of mental health and relationship problems (noted above) in military families.

Many bases offer support for military families through counseling services and military chaplains. The web sites for the Department of Veterans Affairs (www.va.gov) and the individual branches of the military provide useful information and resources to guide military families toward appropriate help. Additionally, there are organizations dedicated to promoting the emotional and psychological wellbeing of military families. A number of these organizations are listed on this topic page.

The information in the article above was drawn from the following sources:

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (March 2004). Families in the military. Retrieved October 9, 2009, from www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/families_in_the_military.
• Carlson, E. (June 2004). Iraq War Clinician Guide (2nd ed.). Retrieved September 10, 2009, from www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/manuals/manual-pdf/iwcg/iraq_clinician_guide_v2.pdf.

Additional Sources of Information

• The “So Far” Guide for Helping Children and Youth Cope with the Deployment of a Parent in the Military Reserves (PDF)
• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
  • Military Deployment: How School Psychologists Can Help
• Massachusetts Operation Military Kids (OMK)
• The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/families_in_the_military
  • www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/coming_home_adjustments_for_military_families
• The American Academy of Pediatrics
  • www.aap.org/sections/uniformedservices/deployment/index.html
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
  • www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/coming_home_adjustments_for_military_families
• U.S. Army Medical Department
  • Army Behavioral Health