Children of Military Families

Resource Review: Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness

“…Given this large number, it is highly likely that military youth will be part of many classrooms, after-school programs, 4-H clubs, and faith-based congregations. Although most militaryconnected children and families are doing well, some struggle and others could benefit from greater support given the realities of military service (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019;Sullivan et al, 2019 while also working to help prevent and address potential problems among service members and their families (Ames et al, 2011;Clary & Ferrari, 2015;Ferrari, 2015;Huebner, 2019).…”

We Matched

“…Children of military families who endure long periods of separation are at higher risk for significant mental health repercussions including anxiety, depression, self-blaming, behavioral problems, suicidal ideation, and other psychosocial morbidity. 2 Despite these negative associations, other positive aspects are also recognized among children who are military connected, 3 including increased resilience and support toward childcare, health care, and education. 4 Though comparing medical trainees to members of the military may seem extreme, this comparison is not far from reality when it comes to hierarchical systems, long work hours, lack of flexibility, and, as our experience demonstrates, family separation.…”

“…As data-driven physicians, we looked to the literature on military deployments for some guidance on how this separation might impact our daughter. Children of military families who endure long periods of separation are at higher risk for significant mental health repercussions including anxiety, depression, self-blaming, behavioral problems, suicidal ideation, and other psychosocial morbidity . Despite these negative associations, other positive aspects are also recognized among children who are military connected, including increased resilience and support toward childcare, health care, and education …”