Children In Military Families Risk Chronic Mental Health Issues, Say Pediatricians

The recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been challenging for United States military personnel, and especially so for the families of those individuals in the armed forces who have faced long-term, and multiple overseas deployments of their loved ones.

While service members are known to suffer various kinds of physical and mental ailments after being exposed to combat, from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to anxiety, substance abuse and more, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently published a study showing that children whose parents are in the military are equally susceptible to similar issues, psychological and otherwise.

The study, entitled "Health & Mental Health Needs Of Children In US Military Families," was published in the June 2013 issue of Pediatrics and addresses these concerns, and provides recommendations for health care providers dealing with children who have family in the military.

"In the past 10 years, more than 2 million children in the U.S. have experienced the emotional and stressful event of being separated from a loved one deployed for active duty," said Beth Ellen Davis, co-author of the report. "Most children cope and adapt quite well, but all children experience a heightened sense of fear and worry during a parent's deployment. It's important for pediatricians caring for these families to be aware of their family's situations so they can guide them appropriately."

According to the study, almost 60 percent of United States service members have "family responsibilities," which lead to a troubling number of children in this country having to endure the difficulties associated with a parent being deployed overseas to wartime conditions. To a child, wartime deployment means separation from a loved one leading to an increased sense of danger and a routine of daily uncertainty. 

The experts at AAP note that most commonly, these children experience separation as a form of loss, which often results in fear and chronic anxiet —issues that have such a significant impact they've been shown to disrupt the developing architecture of a child's brain.

Current research on the effects of parental wartime deployment on children indicates that one of the most common psychological side effects is a marked increase in stress levels, regardless of the age of the child. The AAP study refers to a pediatric symptom checklist illustrating that during parental deployment, children in military families have a significantly higher risk for emotional and behavioral problems than their non-military-family peers.

Specifically, the AAP study charted the common reactions and behaviors seen in children impacted by parental deployment at three different age levels: pre-school, school-age and adolescence.

In pre-school, the results of parental deployment often include separation anxiety, irritability and aggression, regression, sleep disturbances, easy frustration and difficulty in being able to be comforted. 

For school-age children, there is often seen an intensification of already-existing emotional issues as well as the arising of new issues, including rapid mood swings, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, increased anger and aggression both at home and school and somatic complaints.

In adolescence, common reactions to familial deployment include acting-out behaviors, problems performing in school, a general sense of apathy, a tendency toward non communication and an overall denying of feelings.

"By understanding the military family and the stressful experiences of parental wartime deployment, all pediatricians, both active duty and civilian, and other health care providers, can be the 'front line' in caring for U.S. military children and their families," said Benjamin S. Siegel, co-author of the clinical report. "Pediatricians play a critical role in identifying how well or poorly a child or family responds to a major stressor such as an extended deployment, and can provide the necessary education and support, including referral to a mental health professional when needed."