Elizabeth Singleton, Ph. D. Psychology, M.A.S.
Psychology Department
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia.
Dear Dr. Singleton
Subject: Recent findings on how military stressors effect military families.
I am writing to you in light of the recent research findings on the unique
challenges military families face and how their relationships are affected. In both
articles the quality of the relationships between the soldier and their child, the
spouse and their child, and between the soldier and their spouse had a
considerable influence on how all family members dealt with the particular
stresses that stem from the military life. The condition of these relationships also
had a direct correlation with how military families individually coped with the
military stressors.
In the first article from Military Psychology (Mallonne, Riggs, & and Stander, 2020) a
probability sample of 1,558 military members and their spouses were surveyed
about how particular worries and initiatives influenced the family members
attitude toward homecoming tensions. The sample was comprised mainly of
couples (86.2%) who were married for about one year and had at least one
offspring (59.3%). d Most of the spouses (93.9%) were female, Caucasian (76.2%)
non-Hispanic with almost ninety percent of spouses having not ever been in the
military. A majority of the service members were enlisted (89.5%) active duty
(87.1%) but differed in only fifty-six percent were in the Army and the rest of the
participants were in other branches of service (Mallonne, Riggs, & and Stander,
2020). The dependent variable of homecoming stress and the independent
variables of: individual improvement, the current PTSD of soldiers examined, both
spouses aspects of their well- being parentheses physical and mental
parentheses using VR-36, as well as alterations in both mental and physical well-
being, each spouses’ control on different life aspects, how spouses viewed their
correspondence with their spouses, the community backing, and spouses
economic hardship (Mallonne, Riggs, & and Stander, 2020). d The data was
assessed utilizing univariate testing and Q-Q plots, designs of conclusions and
contrast to the proposed outcomes, and of remains in contrast to row numbers
as well as correlation matrices analyzed (Mallonne, Riggs, & and Stander, 2020) .
They also used bivariate regression analysis approximating part of the
correlations and various regressions. The results of the study prove the mental
well- being of both the military member and spouse were correlated to their
stress over homecoming time so much that it caused a diminished mental well-
being. Spouses felt more tension about the homecoming due to their
apprehensiveness over their deployment correspondence. The soldiers’ and
spouses’ self-control were not as diagnostically as vital as previously proposed.
The assumption about spouse development was less related to homecoming
stress and more linked to deployment correspondence and how it would affect
the homecoming between soldiers and their spouses (Mallonne, Riggs, & and
Stander, 2020).
The current findings are in accord with prior studies and that stress related
improvement is linked to constructive results. While these latest findings conflict
with what researchers previously thought about how the adjustments influenced
each spouse and their capacity to progress from being separated to being
reunited (Mallonne, Riggs, & and Stander, 2020). During the deployments couples
had issues with correspondence thus leading to stress when time for
homecoming, but with briefings before deployments and counseling for the
soldiers and their spouses (Mallonne, Riggs, & and Stander, 2020)the military
feels they can ease the strain on families and facilitate better communication
with service members and their spouses.
In the second article by Farnsworth and O’Neal, they asked the question of what
potential components caused the effects on the adaptability of the military child.
The sample size of 265 military families with one service member parent and one
civilian parent were taken at one army post using printed flyers and signage at
the youth center on one post along with radio announcements about partaking in
a computer survey (Farnsworth & O'Neal, 2021). The variables analyzed were;
parents rank, combat deployments, separation times, post relocations, living off
post, and the conditions of relationships the child had with each parent,
symptoms of anxiety and depression, self -efficacy, and personal welfare, the
child age and gender parentheses female parentheses, and the framework of the
family (Farnsworth & O'Neal, 2021). All of these variables were tested utilizing
descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations. A majority of service members
were enlisted (87.9%) parentheses and many had deployed from one to three
times, and 86% of the service members were male (Farnsworth & O'Neal, 2021).
A majority of the military worries were not as notable a factor in relation to the
condition of the parent child relationship. However, the amount of combat
deployments was affiliated with the condition of their relationship with both
civilian and military parents for girls, but not the boys. The other exemption was
the rank appearance which had a positive effect on personal welfare and self-
efficacy. The higher rank is considered a better socioeconomic position. They
called that deployment had a negative impact on self-efficacy.
The results of this study were contradictory to the hypothesis that they had
previously stated in their research in their case study and along with other
empirical research found that military stresses were not as straightforwardly
effective on the children's ability to adapt as they had anticipated (Easterbrook's
et al., 2013). In closing this research was conducted using a societal environment
as well as principles that assert how significant the bonding of parents with their
children (Farnsworth & O'Neal, 2021). The adversity of the military was in large
part independent from the juvenile's perception of their relationships with their
parents or how they adapted to life, but instead it affirmed how the structure of
military families consist of a resilient unit. The relationship the children had with
both their military parent and their civilian parent was significant in how well the
children could adapt (Farnsworth & O'Neal, 2021). Both of these studies prove
that the quality of the relationships between service members and their families is
crucial to how well each member does or does not cope with the unique military
lifestyle and all it entails during not only deployments, but day to day living. d I
look forward to your thoughts on further research.
V/R,
Julie Eversole, M.A.S.
References
Farnsworth, M. L., & O'Neal, C. W. (2021). Military Stressors, Parent-Adolescent
Relationship Quality, and Adolescent Adjustment.
Journal of Child and Family
Studies
, 30:2718–2731. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02106-y
Mallonne, S., Riggs, D., & and Stander, V. (2020). The impact of family stressors
and resources on military spouse’s perception of post-deployment reunion
stress.
Military Psychology
, Vol. 32, No.6, 369-379. The impact of family
stressors and resources on military spouse’s perception of post-deployment
reunion stress: Military Psychology: Vol 32, No 6 (tandfonline.com)
