As a consequence of various causes, numerous children are confronted with parental separation. By following families in the course of military deployments, this study aimed at enhancing knowledge on temporary father—child separation. Data were part of a longitudinal study of military families and were collected among Dutch service members and their partners before, during, and after a deployment to Bosnia or Afghanistan. Results revealed that the great majority of the children adapted quite well to the separation and reunion. Furthermore, the general well-being of the children, the mothers, and the fathers in the mission area was positively related. Unlike separation characteristics, maternal well-being was predictive of children’s adjustment in the course of paternal deployment. Hence, the findings underline the importance of helping spouses cope with the absences of service members as it increases the chances that children will also be doing well in the course of parental absence.

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The aim of this study was to examine (a) how life stress, work-family conflict, social support, psychological distress, and relationship satisfaction develop over the course of military-induced separations; (b) what best predicts relationship satisfaction after being separated for several months; and (c) whether the effects were mediated by spousal interaction. Longitudinal data were collected among 153 spouses of Dutch military personnel before, during, and after military-induced separations. Analyses demonstrated a significant decrease in relationship satisfaction, psychological distress, and social support over time. Controlling for predeployment levels of relationship satisfaction, work-family conflict, social support, psychological distress, and spousal interaction made significant contributions to the explanation of relationship satisfaction after military-induced separations. However, the effects on relationships varied for each stage of the work-related spousal separation. Hence, clinical implications for psychological service delivery suggested by these findings are impacted by the stage of the work-related spousal separation. Specifically, before the separation, services might focus upon balancing work and family demands; during the separation, services that facilitate building networks are important; and finally, communication remains the key service focus upon reunion.

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