A Theory of Risk and Resilience Factors in Military Families

Abstract

This article discusses risk and resilience factors that may affect military families, with a focus on frequent relocation, deployment, exposure to combat and PTSD, and postdeployment reunion as possible risk factors influencing child psychosocial and academic outcome. Research findings are presented as supporting a theoretical pathway that suggests that the effects of military life on child outcome may follow an indirect pathway involving parental stress and psychopathology, rather than military life directly affecting children of military parents. The proposed pathway also serves to highlight the need for further research on understudied resilience factors and provides suggestions for interventions that may benefit military families.Military families are relatively unique with regard to the constellation of factors that influence them. The confluence of specific risk and resilience factors raises interesting questions within the mental health field concerning issues of development, yet it appears to remain a relatively understudied population. For example, the concept of the "military family syndrome," which characterizes military families as consisting of authoritarian fathers, depressed mothers, and out-of-control children was introduced by LaGrone (1978; Jensen, Xenakis, Wolf, & Bain, 1991) decades ago. However, researchers continue to debate the evidence supporting this military stereotype, with some suggesting that thus far "we have no reliable data to modify or refute the military stereotype" (Terr, 1992) or to judge whether military life is hazardous to children and families. This article aims to review risk and resilience research about military families, in part to suggest potential avenues of research that could clarify such questions about family life in the military system. In addition, this article aims to use these research findings to provide support for a

Protective Factors in Families: Themes From a Socioecological Study of Australian Defence Force Families Experiencing Parental Deployment

“…Many experience a sense of being no longer needed, nor part of the family. Others fear rejection that may lead to more serious reintegration issues (Palmer, 2008). Seb, within Family 3, demonstrated some of these issues during integration.…”

Boundary Ambiguity and Ambivalence in Military Family Reintegration

“…Military families may have a greater risk of marital and family dissolution because of the stressors of military life, including deployment and reintegration (Palmer, 2008), with female service members being at a greater risk for separation or divorce than males (IOM, 2010). Service member symptoms of post-traumatic stress are particularly associated with marital distress during the post-deployment period (Erbes, Meis, Polusny, & Compton, 2011).…”

“…Ambivalence would presumably affect the ability to make meaning of and cope with the variety of changes that are experienced by families during reintegration (Boss, 2002), and could link boundary ambiguity with overall family functioning. While it has been hinted at in a number of qualitative studies (Huebner et al, 2007;MacDermid, Samper, Schwarz, Nishida, & Nyaronga, 2008;Wiens & Boss, 2006) and conceptual articles related to military families (Palmer, 2008), ambivalence has yet to be included in any models of family functioning or even addressed empirically from the service member's perspective. This study will address two types of ambivalence, one of which is related to one's family relationships, and the other which is related to one's deployment experience.…”

“…The presence of PTSD in the service member is overwhelmingly associated with poorer functioning for both spouses or partners and children; "avoidance of trauma-related stimuli and emotional experiences" can create or exacerbate deficits in communication (Dekel & Monson, 2010, p. 305). Troubles with communication, lower intimacy, and parenting disagreements can then lead to marital conflict (Palmer, 2008) and compromised family functioning.…”

A Review Paper: The Role of the Internet in Promoting Youth Well-Being in Flood-Prone Communities

“…In addition to the importance of internet for the present study, by communication through the internet, we can create the common understandings and the provision of opportunities for youth to express needs during natural disasters. Resilience in youth in emergency setting will be influenced by the availability of information and the ability to communicate with others (Wadsworth, 2010;Palmer, 2008). When youth face with ambiguity, they look for information, or communicate with others to decrease uncertainty and to improve a sense of order (Weick, Sutcliffe, & Obstfeld, 2005) with respect to the unusual situation they are experiencing.…”