The Need for Clinicians to Recognize Military-Connected Children

Animal-assisted interventions for military families: a systematic review

Introduction

The incorporation of animals into interventions focused on military families is a relatively new concept. Though animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) have been studied in the context of military veterans, few studies incorporate members of the military family or focus on the family members' experiences.

Methods

This systematic review investigates the effects of AAIs on the wellbeing of military family members beyond the veteran themselves through three aims: (1) by describing the characteristics of AAIs for military family members, (2) by evaluating the quality of the methodology present within the current literature, and (3) by identifying key concepts and knowledge gaps within the findings reported to date.

Results

A total of nine articles met the criteria to be included in the review. Though the inclusion criteria and search terms included all types of animal-assisted interventions, the only interventions represented were service dogs (n = 4) and equine-assisted services (n = 5).

Discussion

Findings suggest AAIs could be beneficial in areas such as communication, relational bonds, and psychosocial well-being. Though additional research is necessary, AAIs may be an effective complementary intervention for military families.

Assessment of Marital Satisfaction Among Spouses of Soldiers: The Example of Turkey

INTRODUCTION

Military personnel and their families face biopsychosocial risk factors due to frequent deployments, long and dangerous assignments, being away from home, not being able to spend time with their family, and adaptation to family life after returning from duty. These risks are among the factors affecting the marital satisfaction of military families.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our study population consists of 6 military spouses selected by the maximum sampling method, which the researchers reached using their resources. The research was conducted in Van Province between January and February 2021. The semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers was used in the research designed with the qualitative research method. During the interviews, audio was recorded and transcribed.

RESULTS

With the findings obtained from the interviews, subthemes were formed by considering similar expressions used by the participants regarding their opinions under the main themes. The main themes that emerged in the research were the experience of being married to a soldier, relational satisfaction, the effect of duties on the relationship, and perception of social context. Considering all the results, it has been revealed that alongside long-term and far-from-home assignments due to the nature of military service, the military lifestyle determines the marital satisfaction of military spouses. Accordingly, it was observed that military spouses and families must be supported during the soldiers' duties and complicated professional processes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals that long-term and far-from-home assignments due to military service impact the marital satisfaction. Accordingly, it was observed that military spouses and families must be supported during the soldiers' duties and complicated professional processes.

Identifying Mental Health Profiles Among Adolescents Who Experienced a Recent Parental Deployment or Military-Related Family Separation

Accessing two independent samples of adolescents in military families in the United States who recently experienced parental separation (N = 573; N = 186), this study sought to identify adolescent mental health profiles indexed on multiple indicators. In other words, we asked how military adolescents fare after parental separation in terms of mental health indicators. Proximal family processes (family cohesion, conflict, and marital adjustment) were also examined in relation to mental health profiles as well as core adolescent outcomes, self-rated health, and school enjoyment. In both samples, three profiles emerged identifying similar structures of mental health profiles. Two-thirds of adolescents were in the lowest risk mental health group. Poor family cohesion and greater conflict were associated with the moderate and highest risk groups. The lowest risk group reported better health and greater school enjoyment. Family nurses and other health care professionals are encouraged to inquire about military connectedness, structural changes occurring within the family system, and family processes in relation to adolescent well-being.

Emotion Regulation Difficulties in Military Fathers Magnify Their Benefit from a Parenting Program

Military service members who were exposed to combat-related traumatic events may exhibit emotion regulation problems, which can compromise emotion-related parenting practices (ERPPs). After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT) is a preventive intervention developed for military families to improve parenting behaviors, including ERPPs. Parental emotion regulation difficulties may affect parents' responses to this parenting program. Thus, this study aimed to use a baseline target moderated mediation design to examine the intent-to-treat (ITT) effect of the ADAPT program on deployed fathers' emotion-related parenting practices (ERPPs) at the 1-year follow-up as well as the moderation and mediation effect of fathers' emotion regulation difficulties. The sample consisted of 181 deployed fathers and their 4-13-year-old children. At both baseline and 1 year, fathers' ERPPs (i.e., positive engagement, withdrawal avoidance, reactivity-coercion, and distress avoidance) were observed during a series of structured parent-child interaction tasks. Results of path analyses showed no ITT effects on fathers' ERPPs, but emotion regulation difficulties significantly moderated ITT effects on distress avoidance. Fathers with higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties at baseline showed decreases in distress avoidance behaviors at 1 year if randomized to the intervention condition. Emotion regulation difficulties also significantly mediated the program's effect on reductions in reactivity coercion for fathers with high levels of emotion regulation difficulties at baseline. These findings highlight parental emotion regulation as a key baseline target of the ADAPT program and provide insight into how and for whom a parenting program improves parenting practices.