Reference:
Lester, P., Aralis, H., Sinclair, M., Kiff, C., Lee, K. H., Mustillo, S., MacDermid Wadsworth, S. M. (2016). The impact of deployment on parental, family and child adjustment in military families. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 47(6), 938-949. doi: 10.1007/s10578-016-0624-9
Summary:
Since the tragic events of 9/11, American military service has been defined by deployments and challenges that contribute to military family stress. Current research tells us that wartime deployment has a negative impact on the well-being of service members and their families. However, few studies have looked at how parental deployments impact young children and their families. The authors of this article used deployment records, parent-reported information and examined the influence of deployment on military families with children under the age of 10.
Researchers found that greater deployment exposure had a tendency to impact family functioning and marital instability. Parents with depression and symptoms of posttraumatic stress were likely to impact the social and emotional adjustment in young children. Researchers also found that children experiencing this scenario had increased anxiety in early childhood, and problems adjusting when they reached school-age. On the other hand, the authors found that sensitive parents improved social and emotional effects for children.