Being a parent of a soldier is a challenging experience – stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of Israeli soldiers

Abstract

At any given moment, a notable proportion of parents worldwide have at least one child serving in the military. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress in the sample of parents of Israeli soldiers and to assess the difference in this prevalence by type of service (combat vs. non‐combat) and other demographic characteristics of parents and soldiers. A cross‐sectional study of a convenience sample of 202 Israeli parents who were interviewed during January‐September 2023. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS‐21) was used to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress (with cut‐off points of ≥5, ≥4, and ≥8, respectively). Having depression, anxiety, or stress was defined as psychological distress. Parents' demographics and child's service characteristics were included in the multivariable logistic regression model, with psychological distress as a dependent variable. Almost a quarter (22.8%) of parents experienced distress, defined as having high depression, anxiety, or stress score. In a multivariable model, combat service (vs. non‐combat) was significantly associated with distress: parents of combat soldiers were four times more likely to report distress than parents of non‐combat soldiers (OR = 3.9; 95% CI: 1.3–11.8). Highly classified service preventing the child from sharing information with the parents was significantly associated with distress (OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.2–5.3). Most distressed parents (78.3%) did not seek professional help, with the vast majority of those seeking assistance were female. Given the substantial proportion of parents suffering from mental distress found in this study, especially parents of combat soldiers and those serving in highly classified positions, healthcare professionals should be aware of parents' difficulties, be proactive in gathering information about their mental well‐being, and be prepared to provide professional help.