“In this study, 87 partners of deployed National Guard service members completed daily diaries, recording their entries for seven consecutive days on the same channels (e.g., phone) each time they communicated with their service member. They recorded their communication activities (e.g., support provision) and how connected they felt with their service member.”
MacDermid Wadsworth S. M.
The use of university services and student retention: Differential links for student service members or veterans and civilian students (2018)
“Grounded in research and theory on college student retention, this study assessed differences in the use of various university services and the influence of key personnel on retention-related outcomes of student service members or veterans (SSM/Vs) compared with civilian students. Participants included 386 students, 199 (154 male, 45 female) of which were SSM/Vs and 187 (87 male, 100 female) were civilian students.”
Examining multiple rhythms of military and veteran family life (2018)
“This review considers existing literature about military and veteran families’ deployment-related experiences in relation to three separate, yet related, temporal rhythms. First, we consider military family functioning within a short-term rhythm focused on dynamic family interactions (e.g., communicative exchanges) that occur daily.”
Changes in parenting and youth adjustment across the military deployment cycle (2018)
“This study examined how changes in at-home parents’ mental health and parenting practices related to changes in their children’s adjustment throughout the course of a service members’ military deployment. Participants included at-home parents from 114 National Guard families who were interviewed at four different occasions across the deployment cycle.”
Family stressors and resources: Relationships with depressive symptoms in military couples during pre-deployment (2017)
This study uses family stress theory to examine risk and protective factors associated with family members’ adaptation during times of stressful transition. Using an online survey, we gathered data from 151 U.S. Army National Guard members and their spouses preparing for a scheduled deployment.
Total force fitness: The military family fitness model (2017)
This article describes the Military Family Fitness Model (MFFM), a comprehensive model aimed at enhancing family fitness and resilience across the life span. The purpose of this article is to (1) expand the military’s Total Force Fitness (TFF) intent as it relates to families and (2) offer a family fitness model. This article will summarize relevant evidence, provide supportive theory, describe the model, and proffer metrics that support the dimensions of this model.
Factors associated with civilian employment, work satisfaction, and performance among National Guard members (2015)
This article investigated several factors associated with employment-related outcomes among National Guard members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation New Dawn deployments.
Help seeking by parents in military families on behalf of their young children (2015)
MFRI contributing authors studied military family help-seeking activities with regard to children’s problems. Specifically, they examined emotional and behavioral problems in children younger than 10 years old. In general, the study found parents knew about these problems.
The higher education landscape for US student service members and veterans in Indiana (2015)
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or “New GI Bill” has resulted in rising enrollment and related demand for services by students in the USA. We examined current supports for student service members and veterans at institutions of higher education in Indiana in the context of this national trend.
Maternal perspectives on deployment and child-mother relationships in military families (2015)
We are still learning about the impact of deployment challenges of young children whose parent experience military wartime deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. To gain insight on this issue, MFRI contributing authors used survey data from 292 mothers of military children to study relations among military deployment factors, quality of maternal care and child attachment behavior with their mother.