The Impact of Deployment on Children of Military Families Russian-American Medical Association Annual Meeting 11 September 2004

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The Impact of Deployment on Children of Military
FamiliesRussian-American Medical
AssociationAnnual Meeting11 September 2004

• Thomas Hardaway, COL, MC, USA
• Chief, Department of Behavioral Medicine
• Army Surgeon General EFMP Consultant
• Brooke Army Medical Center
• Fort Sam Houston, Texas

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Demographics of Military Children

• From Military Family Resource Center, 2002
• 58 of military population are family members
• 1,221,951 military children in 2003
• 497,843 (41) 5 years old or less
• 426,151 (35) 6-11 years old
• 297,957 (24) 12-18 years old

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Active Duty Females in the Military

• 1970 1.4
• 2003 - 14.9
• Presently 33,913 dual-military marriages
• 87,475 single parent active duty families

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Background of Impact of Separation and Deployment
on Children of Military Families

• Mental health of soldiers has historically been
  seen as important as physical injuries on the
  battlefield
• Maintaining function on the battlefield is
  critical, and caring for the soldier after battle
  is felt to be equally important
• Critical part of positive mental health is the
  knowledge that family members are being supported
  and care for

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Why a Curriculum

• Historically, military doctrine has been to treat
  psychological trauma through concept of P-I-E-.
• Proximitry
• Immediacy
• Expectancy

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Medical Support for Family Members

• Family member medical and mental health is an
  entitlement for a military member
• Spouses and children are the major mental health
  casualties of wartime deployments
• The specific impact of separation and war
  injuries upon the children of deployed military
  personnel is not universally recognized or
  treated

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Why is It Important to Address Child Trauma
Issues?

• The soldier cannot function if there are problems
  with the family, either while deployed or upon
  return home
• The next generation of children are our future
  they must not only be functional, but they must
  be healthy and able to solve problems, not be
  part of the problem

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Historically, Great Emotional Lip-Service Given,
but Shortage on Real Support

• Resources are usually not available to provide
  full support for childrens issues
• Mental health providers are relatively scarce in
  relation to need
• Need programs that can be provided by medical and
  non-medical providers teachers, parents,
  clinicians, others

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Avoid Further Trauma Avoid Becoming a Patient

• Address trauma at front lines with unit or at
  school with peers
• Treat and educate prospectively, quickly
• Treat as healthy individuals and not as patients

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Based on Model inSan Francisco forChildren of
Divorcing Parents

• 4-session curriculum, closed ended, with specific
  topics to be addressed to assist children in
  divorcing families
• Although therapeutic, more educational, and
  training among peers
• Provide tools with which to address potential
  problems and to elicit support of peers and
  caring adults

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First Used DuringOperation Desert Storm

• Used in Killeen ISD at Ft. Hood, in San Antonio,
  and in DoDDS schools in Germany
• Literature search provided help in establishing
  assumptions and criteria to set up learning
  objectives and outcomes
• To restore function and self-confidence, not
  necessarily to make happy

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Curriculum Based on Prevention

• Designed to be delivered by non-mental health
  personnel (teachers, counselors, parents, other
  supportive adults)
• Teaches children to mobilize their own inner
  resources, strengths
• Teaches children to improve their function, and
  behave in such a way as to optimize eliciting
  support from others

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Based on Research and Literature Review of
Psychological Trauma Related to Separation, Loss,
and War Trauma

• Four segments to curriculum
• 1. Teach geography, culture of where parent is
  deployed
• 2. Teach ability to recognize what has changed
  at home and with remaining parent
• 3. Teach ability to recognize feelings within
  the children themselves
• 4. Teach ability to utilize more appropriate
  behavior in eliciting support from others

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Additional Curriculum Segments on Re-Unification
and Terrorism

• Re-unification issues are frequently more
  difficult than separation and deployment issues
• Terrorism concerns have now become as important
  as deployment issues, compared to Desert Storm I
  in 1990

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Discuss other parts of Packet

• Copy of chapter on, Treatment of Psychological
  Trauma in Military Children, from Mass Trauma
  in Children
• Article, Crafting a Curriculum for On-Going
  Terrorism
• 10 Tips for Parents to Help Children whose
  Parents are Deploying
• 10 Tips for Preparing for Redeployment
• Coloring Books Lets Go to Iraq, and My
  Parent is Coming Home

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These Measures Can Be Generalized to Other Areas
Where Children are Affected by Wartime
Deployments and Terrorism

• However, they should be crafted to reflect the
  realities of the present situation, the culture,
  and other contextual issues that are different
  from what American children face
• Many of the same principles and assumptions apply
• The need to address these issues for the next
  generation remains critical

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Questions