Deployment and Mental Health Diagnoses Among Children of US Army Personnel

Abstract

To characterize the risk of mental health diagnoses among children of US military personnel associated with parental deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

War’s lingering wounds: Postconflict mental health challenges among adolescents of army war widows in Sri Lanka.

“…Global research on adolescents with deployed military parents also echoes these patterns. Mansfield et al (2011) found that mental health problems were most common among U.S. adolescents aged 17–18 years (56.7%), identifying late adolescence as the peak period for internalizing symptoms, consistent with the present study. However, while externalizing and attention problems also peaked in late adolescence in the Mansfield study, they were most common in mid and early adolescence, respectively, in our study.…”

“…In a study of U.S. army personnel children aged 5–17 years, higher mental health issues were found among boys (19.6%) compared with girls (15.7%). Boys also exhibited higher rates of internalizing problems, such as depressive and anxiety disorders (2.9% and 5.8% vs. 2.7% and 5.7%, respectively), as well as behavioral disorders (7.0% vs. 3.5%), consistent with the findings of the present study (Mansfield et al, 2011).…”

“…Similarly, Ginige et al (2014) found more behavioral and emotional problems among males (17.1%) than females (11.2%), with male predominance in both internalizing (9.7% vs. 7.1%) and externalizing problems (10.4% vs. 7.5%). Among U.S. army personnel children aged 5-17 years, boys showed more mental health issues compared with girls (19.6% vs. 15.7%), including depressive (2.9% vs. 2.7%), anxiety (5.8% vs. 5.7%), and behavioral disorders (7.0% vs. 3.5%; Mansfield et al, 2011), aligning with current findings.…”

War’s lingering wounds: Postconflict mental health challenges among adolescents of army war widows in Sri Lanka.

“…Global research on adolescents with deployed military parents also echoes these patterns. Mansfield et al (2011) found that mental health problems were most common among U.S. adolescents aged 17–18 years (56.7%), identifying late adolescence as the peak period for internalizing symptoms, consistent with the present study. However, while externalizing and attention problems also peaked in late adolescence in the Mansfield study, they were most common in mid and early adolescence, respectively, in our study.…”

“…In a study of U.S. army personnel children aged 5–17 years, higher mental health issues were found among boys (19.6%) compared with girls (15.7%). Boys also exhibited higher rates of internalizing problems, such as depressive and anxiety disorders (2.9% and 5.8% vs. 2.7% and 5.7%, respectively), as well as behavioral disorders (7.0% vs. 3.5%), consistent with the findings of the present study (Mansfield et al, 2011).…”

“…Similarly, Ginige et al (2014) found more behavioral and emotional problems among males (17.1%) than females (11.2%), with male predominance in both internalizing (9.7% vs. 7.1%) and externalizing problems (10.4% vs. 7.5%). Among U.S. army personnel children aged 5-17 years, boys showed more mental health issues compared with girls (19.6% vs. 15.7%), including depressive (2.9% vs. 2.7%), anxiety (5.8% vs. 5.7%), and behavioral disorders (7.0% vs. 3.5%; Mansfield et al, 2011), aligning with current findings.…”

Parental Deployment, Adolescent Academic and Social–Behavioral Maladjustment, and Parental Psychological Well-being in Military Families

“…Our results add to the growing evidence that deployments have significant and substantial implications for parents and adolescents in military families. In particular, consistent with recent evidence, [23][24][25] we found that long deployments can increase the risk for negative adolescent and parental outcomes relative to short deployment or no deployment, but recent deployments do not seem to increase the risk for these negative outcomes.…”

A cross-sectional study of mental health and well-being among youth in military-connected families

“…42 Relative to the general population, children and youth in military families outside of Canada were more likely to report higher mean emotional and behavioural difficulties scores, higher rates of externalizing and internalizing behaviours and high rates of suicidal ideation or attempts. 1,24,25,[39][40][41] Our study also supports research from the United States showing a greater engagement Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; RR, relative risk.…”

War’s lingering wounds: Postconflict mental health challenges among adolescents of army war widows in Sri Lanka.

“…Global research on adolescents with deployed military parents also echoes these patterns. Mansfield et al (2011) found that mental health problems were most common among U.S. adolescents aged 17–18 years (56.7%), identifying late adolescence as the peak period for internalizing symptoms, consistent with the present study. However, while externalizing and attention problems also peaked in late adolescence in the Mansfield study, they were most common in mid and early adolescence, respectively, in our study.…”

“…In a study of U.S. army personnel children aged 5–17 years, higher mental health issues were found among boys (19.6%) compared with girls (15.7%). Boys also exhibited higher rates of internalizing problems, such as depressive and anxiety disorders (2.9% and 5.8% vs. 2.7% and 5.7%, respectively), as well as behavioral disorders (7.0% vs. 3.5%), consistent with the findings of the present study (Mansfield et al, 2011).…”

“…Similarly, Ginige et al (2014) found more behavioral and emotional problems among males (17.1%) than females (11.2%), with male predominance in both internalizing (9.7% vs. 7.1%) and externalizing problems (10.4% vs. 7.5%). Among U.S. army personnel children aged 5-17 years, boys showed more mental health issues compared with girls (19.6% vs. 15.7%), including depressive (2.9% vs. 2.7%), anxiety (5.8% vs. 5.7%), and behavioral disorders (7.0% vs. 3.5%; Mansfield et al, 2011), aligning with current findings.…”

Parental Deployment, Adolescent Academic and Social–Behavioral Maladjustment, and Parental Psychological Well-being in Military Families

“…Our results add to the growing evidence that deployments have significant and substantial implications for parents and adolescents in military families. In particular, consistent with recent evidence, [23][24][25] we found that long deployments can increase the risk for negative adolescent and parental outcomes relative to short deployment or no deployment, but recent deployments do not seem to increase the risk for these negative outcomes.…”

A cross-sectional study of mental health and well-being among youth in military-connected families

“…42 Relative to the general population, children and youth in military families outside of Canada were more likely to report higher mean emotional and behavioural difficulties scores, higher rates of externalizing and internalizing behaviours and high rates of suicidal ideation or attempts. 1,24,25,[39][40][41] Our study also supports research from the United States showing a greater engagement Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; RR, relative risk.…”

War’s lingering wounds: Postconflict mental health challenges among adolescents of army war widows in Sri Lanka.

“…Global research on adolescents with deployed military parents also echoes these patterns. Mansfield et al (2011) found that mental health problems were most common among U.S. adolescents aged 17–18 years (56.7%), identifying late adolescence as the peak period for internalizing symptoms, consistent with the present study. However, while externalizing and attention problems also peaked in late adolescence in the Mansfield study, they were most common in mid and early adolescence, respectively, in our study.…”

“…In a study of U.S. army personnel children aged 5–17 years, higher mental health issues were found among boys (19.6%) compared with girls (15.7%). Boys also exhibited higher rates of internalizing problems, such as depressive and anxiety disorders (2.9% and 5.8% vs. 2.7% and 5.7%, respectively), as well as behavioral disorders (7.0% vs. 3.5%), consistent with the findings of the present study (Mansfield et al, 2011).…”

“…Similarly, Ginige et al (2014) found more behavioral and emotional problems among males (17.1%) than females (11.2%), with male predominance in both internalizing (9.7% vs. 7.1%) and externalizing problems (10.4% vs. 7.5%). Among U.S. army personnel children aged 5-17 years, boys showed more mental health issues compared with girls (19.6% vs. 15.7%), including depressive (2.9% vs. 2.7%), anxiety (5.8% vs. 5.7%), and behavioral disorders (7.0% vs. 3.5%; Mansfield et al, 2011), aligning with current findings.…”

Parental Deployment, Adolescent Academic and Social–Behavioral Maladjustment, and Parental Psychological Well-being in Military Families

“…Our results add to the growing evidence that deployments have significant and substantial implications for parents and adolescents in military families. In particular, consistent with recent evidence, [23][24][25] we found that long deployments can increase the risk for negative adolescent and parental outcomes relative to short deployment or no deployment, but recent deployments do not seem to increase the risk for these negative outcomes.…”

A cross-sectional study of mental health and well-being among youth in military-connected families

“…42 Relative to the general population, children and youth in military families outside of Canada were more likely to report higher mean emotional and behavioural difficulties scores, higher rates of externalizing and internalizing behaviours and high rates of suicidal ideation or attempts. 1,24,25,[39][40][41] Our study also supports research from the United States showing a greater engagement Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; RR, relative risk.…”