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, being educated on these three things can make a deployment “run” smoothly for the entire family.
The pre-deployment stage can be extremely stressful for the family, out of the three stages it is more often than not, the worst. During the pre-deployment stage, parents can sometimes become preoccupied with the preparation and anticipation of the Active Duty member leaving, and will spend little time preparing their children. When a child finds out that a parent is being deployed they can sometimes be overwhelmed with emotion. The child will go through two phases Expectation for Separation, and Emotional Withdrawal. Expectation for Separation usually occurs six to eight weeks prior to the deployment. Feelings during this phase can range from excitement, denial, fear, to even anger. Emotional Withdrawal usually occurs one week prior to deployment. Feelings that most children will experience include ambivalence, fear, resentment, and even guilt (U.S. Department of Defense, n.d.).
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Being a single mom in the military is hard but I am proud that I am doing it, It instills a sense of pride and satisfaction that is matched by no other.
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
These children often miss their deployed parent dearly. In The New York Times article Military Wife During Deployment Is Asked, ‘Is It Worth It?’ The wife and 5-year-old daughter of a navy helicopter pilot are at a wedding when the daughter started crying uncontrollably “‘Daddy,’ she said, sobbing. ‘I miss my daddy.’ … ‘I don’t want YOUR daddy,’ she cried to me. ‘Not Finley’s daddy, or Addie’s daddy, I want MY daddy.’” She saw a picture of him and broke into tears because he wasn’t there to share in the happy memories. Situations like these are
Motherhood and the Acceptance of Mothers in the Military Being a mother in the military has always had controversy. Some believe that mothers should refrain from this violence and stay in civilian life to raise their children, while others believe that it’s a woman’s right to choose this career. Kara Dixon Vuic’s article, “ “I’m afraid we’re going to have to just change our ways”: Marriage, Motherhood, and Pregnancy in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War” examines female nurses in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War who helped pave the way for wives and mothers to be more integrated into the Army. In comparison, Michelle L. Kelley’s (et al.) The article “Navy Mothers Experiencing and Not Experiencing Deployment: Reasons for Staying in or Leaving the Military,” is a survey on the many reasons why navy mothers would choose to leave or stay in the army.
The over all result of the warrior society and it 's characteristics if not balanced out seems to be detrimental to the military family. The culture of military life and the warrior society can lead to loneliness for all family members and the feeling of isolation. The impact on the family is a tremendous amount of stress making it difficult for the family unit to function. The impact on children can cause behavior problems, school performance to drop, along with anxiety and depression. The warrior society is important for counselors to understand to better help military members as well as their families cope with military
The Children's PTSD Inventory was developed from the diagnostic criteria for PTSD in the DSM-IV-TR. Inventory items were written in language that could be easily understood by children. Then, to assess the phrasing and improve clarity, the test items were read aloud to 8-year-old children and their comments and level of understanding were noted.
In these days and times of continuous military and terrorist conflict, military soldiers should be required to participate in pre and post deployment health assessments. That brings me to the question, “Why is pre and post deployment health assessments needed?” The revelant of pre and post deployment health assessments will test our soldiers to see if they have any mental issues. Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult. Some are manageable, some are not. Many times, we can successfully deal with them on our own. In some instances, matters get worse and one problem can trigger other more serious issues. At such times, it is wise to check things out and see what is really happening. That introduces the purpose of these totally anonymous and voluntary mental health testing self-assessments. The testing questions are designed so you can review your situation with regard to some of the more common mental health issues including, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, alcohol problems and more. The screening will not provide a diagnosis – for that you need to see a professional. But, it will tell you whether or not you have symptoms that are consistent with a condition or concern that would benefit from further evaluation or treatment. It will also give you guidance as to where you might seek assistance. We are affected by this because we could lose our love ones if we don’t know what kind of mental issues they have.
1991 researched whether or not military connected children suffered from higher levels of psychiatric symptoms, and whether they display more externalizing or internalizing disorders. They also sought to learn whether the same stressors that effect children also effect their parents. Additionally they sought to understand the different impacts different levels of service (whether an officer or enlisted soldier) had on the family. 213 children and their families were surveyed by mail using psychopathology rating scales. The reports of teachers and children were highly similar to national averages, however parents rated their children and themselves as having slightly higher levels of psychiatric symptoms. This study found that the rates of psychiatric symptoms were not greatly increased in children in military families, and provided no evidence of a military family syndrome. This study was limited by its heavy reliance on self report. This study is helpful in showing that there might not be as many negatives to being military connected as we might think and will help balance some of the other
In a significant part of the world, there are many countries that recruit child to become soldiers against their will. Child soldiers are being utilized to commit horrendous actions that people would not believe could be done by just kids. The United States should intervene in wars where child soldiers are being used ,because they are transformed against their will,being killed and the ones who survived are more likely to become psychopaths.
Finally, a child who is suffering from PTSD is likely to be vulnerable to further abuse and will often inflict it on himself or herself as well as allowing it from others. This disorder develops specifically because of an inability to feel safe during the developmental years that results in an inability to feel calm and safe. The constant anxiety creates a hyperactive and mental state of worry. It also manifests with typical physiological indicators of stress such as headaches, behavior issues, digestive distress, general achiness and stiffness of joints, and difficulty breathing (Herman, 1992, pgs.
When we picture the United States Military we regard men and women in uniform fighting for our country. However, what we do not picture is the hidden problems. Stress of the job, members returning home from war, and combat create an increased stress level that can result in abusing substances and cause behavioral problems. The military has recognized that this has become a problem and is now taking steps to ensure their members safety.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.
Many children are born into families that are a part of a branch of the military. Parents may wonder if the constant moving and deployment will bring negative effects on a child’s development. The rigorous lifestyle of the military can have negative effects on the children’s development growing up, but the opportunity of living as a military child is a culturally diverse, socially strong, and mature development of characteristics. The military life offers many benefits for raising a child. Have a family in the military lifestyle can greatly help the children’s development of positives characteristics.
Anytime a child is away from their parent whether it is to spend time with friends, while parents are at work or during school children tend to get emotional. Parents that are in active in the military can never be sure how much time they have to spend with their families. Separation anxiety is something that affects both child and parent negatively, and there is only so much you can do to prepare for it. Being deployed in the military is honorable but it will take a toll of on a family, especially a developing child.
Upon evaluation, the journal article “ Mental Health in Deployed and Non-deployed Veteran Men and Women in Comparison With their Civilian Counterparts” by Mark W. Hoglund and Rebecca M. Schwartz published by Military Medicine in Volume 19 proves to be a moderately reliable source due to the academic presentation which includes data, personal interviews, qualified sources and a balanced argument that have points that support their argument. Mark W. Hoglund was a project manager for Family Health services, he served as a Human Resources professional in three different organizations, and studies Adult Career planning and Development. Rebecca M. Schwartz is a clinical psychologist, assistant professor, and a graduate of public health. Although Schwartz never served in military and majority of her studies are for HIV in kids and women this leads her to have lot of information about the mental being.