Growing up isn’t easy, but for children of deployed service members, it can be even more difficult. At a time in children’s lives when everything is changing, a missing mother or father is often a catalyst for behavioral problems that can further complicate life for both children and their families.

A study conducted by Air Force Maj. Molinda Chartrand, MD, showed that even very young children, from three to five years old, can be affected. Chartrand, in partnership with the Boston University School of Medicine, studied 169 families with children in child care at a large Marine base. Children of deployed parents showed a higher incidence of depression and externalized behaviors such as aggression and attention difficulties than their peers with parents who were not deployed.

The study revealed that internalized behavior such as eating disorders, somatic complaints, withdrawal, and anxiety also became more common in children of the deployed, a significant finding because those symptoms can be harder to detect.

The good news is that as they age, many children become more resilient and capable of handling the deployment of a family member, says Angela J. Huebner, PhD, associate professor of human development at Virginia Tech in Falls Church, Va., principal investigator of a study involving older children of military parents. But, she notes, each case is different, and diagnosing adjustment problems in teenagers can be even more difficult because many are reluctant to divulge their feelings to adults.

In Transition

Today, overseas deployments last from 12 to 15 months, but that’s not the whole story, Huebner notes. That timeframe is just part of the deployment cycle, which starts when a service member receives orders, continues through the mobilization phase, which usually takes place on a military base in the U.S., and culminates with the actual deployment.

During that time, Huebner says, a child’s life often is thrown into disarray, with familiar household roles rapidly changing. “Often what gets lost in all the last-minute preparation is preparing the children for when Mom or Dad is gone,” she says. “Orders often come unexpectedly, and kids can get lost in the logistical shuffle.”

Huebner’s study revealed that many older children felt protective of their parents and held in their stress, often leading to inappropriate outbursts later. Grades also suffered, with many adolescents reporting an inability to concentrate on their studies.

Some children became alarmed by a parent’s recounting of war stories, Huebner says. “Parents need to be thoughtful about how much they’re sharing and how,” she cautions. “Telling them that ‘Dad was in a firefight and three of his buddies died, but he’s OK’ doesn’t help.”

Real-World Interventions

Dauphine Sisk, OTD, OTR/L, often deals with children of deployed parents at Therapy Playground, a pediatric rehab clinic in Fayetteville, N.C., home of Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base. Most of the families she sees have children with a delay
or disability of some kind, as well as the problems inherent with deployment, which magnifies the challenge even further.

“When one parent is deployed, the remaining caregiver is basically a single parent,” she says. “Part of the treatment sessions deal with how to help regulate the child’s behavior and try to keep the family running smoothly.”

Sisk helps parents create resources a child can use during deployment to ease separation anxiety. One of the tools she uses is an online personalized kid’s book featuring the child and parent that addresses many of the issues they’ll be facing. Parents also can create video recordings that help reassure children when a mother or father isn’t around, she says.

Having constant access to the family allows Sisk to note developing problems and make a referral in a timely manner. “Sometimes my job is just to listen, but if a situation is out
of my purview, I’ll be the first to refer to a developmental
psychologist,” she says.

Resources
Military and Family Life Consultant Program: www.mhngs.com/app/programsandservices/mflc_program.content

Military One Source: www.militaryonesource.com

U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School Portal: www.cs.amedd.army.mil/youth.aspx

Chartrand M, Frank D, White L, Shope T. Effect of parents' wartime deployment on the behavior of young children in military families. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(11):1009-1014.

Huebner AJ, Mancini JA. Adjustment among adolescents in military families when a parent is deployed: Final report submitted to the Military Family Research Institute and the Department of Defense Quality of Life Office. Falls Church, Virginia: Virginia Tech, Department of Human Development; 2005. www.aap.org/sections/uniformedservices/deployment/DeploymentWebSiteResources/AdjustmentsAdol.pdf. Accessed March 16, 2009.