Mental Health Outcomes Associated with Risk and Resilience Among Military-Connected Youth

Overview

Journal Fam Process

Specialties Psychology
Public Health
Social Sciences

Date 2020 Sep 27

PMID 32981035

Citations 4

Authors

Kathrine S Sullivan

Stacy Ann Hawkins

Tamika D Gilreath

Carl A Castro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The present study aimed to describe patterns of risk and protective factors affecting U.S. Army families and their association with mental health diagnoses among military-connected children. Wartime military service is associated with increased adverse outcomes for military-connected youth, but few studies have explored the impact of concurrent risk and access to protective factors. Using big data methods to link existing datasets, protective factors (e.g., marital and family functioning) were drawn from a voluntary survey completed by 1,630 US Army spouses. Risk factors (e.g., parent mental health, family moves, deployment) were drawn from Department of Defense (DoD) archival data. Rates of mental health diagnoses among youth were derived from DoD healthcare records. Using the three-step method of latent profile analysis, five profiles emerged with variability across risk and protective factors. The largest group (40% of the sample) had considerable protective factors and limited risk exposure. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of mental health diagnoses among military-connected youth were observed across profiles (χ = 30.067, df = 4, p < .001), with the highest rates (31.1% and 30.5%) observed in the two profiles with the lowest protective factors. Findings suggest most military families are faring well and highlight the importance of a thorough assessment that evaluates both the stressors military families face and the strengths they possess.

Citing Articles

Mental health profiles of depressive symptoms and personal well-being among active-duty military families.

ONeal C, Lavner J, Jensen T, Lucier-Greer M Fam Process. 2024; 63(4):2367-2384.

PMID: 38653488 PMC: 11659097. DOI: 10.1111/famp.13003.

Multiple Informant Cluster Analysis Findings: Which Military-Connected Preschool Aged Children Are Doing Well and Why?.

Lester P, Aralis H, Hajal N, Bursch B, Milburn N, Paley B Res Sq. 2024; .

PMID: 38464044 PMC: 10925401. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3983235/v1.

The role of problem solving appraisal and support in the relationship between stress exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms of military spouses and service member partners.

Sullivan K, Park Y, Richardson S, Stander V, Jaccard J Stress Health. 2024; 40(4):e3371.

PMID: 38183368 PMC: 11285057. DOI: 10.1002/smi.3371.

Early and recent military and nonmilitary stressors associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms among military service members and their spouses.

Sullivan K, Park Y, Richardson S, Cederbaum J, Stander V, Jaccard J J Trauma Stress. 2023; 36(5):943-954.

PMID: 37467117 PMC: 10592439. DOI: 10.1002/jts.22958.

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