Effects of Separation/Deployment on Family Functioning and Parental Stress

Sunday, 17 November 2019: 3:35 PM

Janice G. Agazio, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN
School of Nursing, The Catholic University, Washington, DC, USA
Craig A. Cunningham, PhD
Nursing Research and Consultative Services, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA, USA
Danielle Patrice Amos Mejia, BA
Nursing Research, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA, USA
Shannon Lynne Hillier, DO, MPH
Center for Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Owasso, OK, USA
Deborah A. Murphy, PhD
Retired; no current affiliation, Oyster Bed Bridge, PE, Canada

In a recent grounded theory study of active duty military mothers leaving small children for deployment, the participants indicated that leaving their children under five years old would not result in in residual impact because “the younger they are, the less long term effects it’s going to have on them” (Agazio, Goodman & Padden, 2014). Several other mothers in the study also commented that they felt deploying while the child was young was best since the child “won’t remember me being away,” Yet, not much is really known about what younger children remember about deployment and the subsequent impacts of parental separation during these formative years.

Many studies are available in the literature considering effects of deployment on older school age and adolescent children, but less is known about the effects upon younger children. Most studies that consider younger children’s reactions are assessed from the parent’s viewpoint, with less known regarding the child’s thoughts and feelings regarding the parental separation. Other articles primarily rely on developmental theory to postulate the potential effects of military separations. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of deployment for children ages 4-10 years of age using a mixed methods qualitative descriptive design. The research questions guiding the study included: How do children aged 4-10 years of age describe the experience of deployment? What are parental perceptions of how their children experienced deployment? What are useful strategies parents have used to manage deployment separations for their children? This study uniquely combined an art-based interview to explore the deployment experience from the young child’s point of view with integration of both the deployed parent’s experience and stay-at-home parent’s (or caregiver for single parents) perceptions of the child’s reaction to the separation. In addition, parents completed family functioning and parental stress instruments to provide a descriptive qualitative comparison based on the scores to identify factors promoting positive responses to separation and those issues challenging family and parental coping. The results of this latter comparison would be the focus of this presentation.

Study Methods:. Parents completed demographics, FACES IV, and a parental stress scale followed by an interview to describe the child’s reaction to separation. Children participated in a draw-and-tell conversation and photo elicitation interview regarding perceptions of the separation. Thematic and narrative analysis were used for analysis of interview data with comparison between parental and child participants. Descriptive statistics were used to describe family stress and functioning.

Sample: 57 children from 38 families, aged 4-10 who experienced a separation or deployment within the past 2 years participated in the draw and tell/photo elicitation interview. Twenty-four military members participated in the interviews/instrument completion and thirty-four spouses (most frequently the mothers) completed the interview and research instruments. NVIVO filters were used to separate qualitative data based on the scores for the FACES IV and PSS for comparison using thematic analysis.

Study findings: Interview data revealed a turbulent experience for families resulting from frequent and repeated separations. Parents actively employed strategies garnered from military-provided materials and informal interaction with other military parents. This presentation would focus upon utilizing findings from the family functioning and stress instruments to compare themes from parental and children’s interviews. Those with generally lower stress and higher functioning report themes of maintaining communication, cohesiveness, and positive outlook. Resilience and coping were hallmarks with strong reliance on the at-home parent. Those with higher stress and lower functioning indicted intervention points for fostering family and individual coping. Repeated and lengthy separations were particular stressors within the families. Relationships with the deployed/separated parent depended upon maintaining frequent contact, adequate preparation, and continuation of usual activities in familiar environments.

Implications for nursing: The different perspectives provided new insights as to the strategies military families use to maintain stability during deployment and how children perceive the experience of a parental deployment. Findings will be useful in providing anticipatory guidance and intervention strategies other families have found helpful during the experience.

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