By Gabrielle Kirk | Health.mil
As wartime deployments begin their eighth straight year this fall, the well-being of children and families of service members has become a topic of greater concern in the U.S.—especially when considering that military youth in the U.S. number almost 2 million.
While military youth are characteristically resilient and able to adapt, there is concern for National Guard and Reserve families, who are often in communities without local military support.
“Only a relatively small percentage of military children and adolescents are seen by uniformed military health care professionals. It is very likely that our civilian colleagues are not fully informed about the complex military culture and stress that potentially contributes to the emotional, behavioral and physical health of our unique military child and adolescent population,” said Army Maj. Keith Lemmon, a pediatrician at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash.
How can civilian doctors and other health care professionals best support children who may not seek care in military hospitals? An article published in June’s Pediatrics In Review, of which Lemmon is an author, looks at current research and offers recommendations for health-care professionals who care for military children.
The article describes stresses on children of service members as ranging from normative to tolerable to toxic.
Normative stresses can include short separations from a parent or frequent moves, and a successful adaptation to these well-known facets of military life is part of healthy development, the authors write.
Tolerable stresses, including overseas deployments and injury or death of a parent, can be managed when a child receives care and support from a parent or another adult at home. Without that support and care, stress to the child becomes what the authors describe as toxic.
“Sleep impairment, poor school functioning, increased risk-taking behavior in adolescents… could all be considered toxic manifestations of the increased stress faced by our military children,” said Lemmon, who is also the director of the Military Child and Adolescent Center of Excellence at Madigan.
The article’s authors recommend that civilian pediatricians screen for military families at each appointment check-in, stay informed of local National Guard and Reserve deployments, and screen any non-deployed parent or caretaker for stress he or she is experiencing that may negatively affect a child.
Most important, said Lemmon, is “understanding the unique culture and stresses that military children experience.”
By understanding the military culture, one can screen for any emotional or behavioral health concerns associated with this cultural difference, he said.
The article urges doctors to learn and understand as much as they can about the unique needs and experiences of the children of service members and learn about resources available from military family organizations, the DoD, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and others.
Military Youth/Family Resources:
Military One Source
National Military Family Association: Operation Purple Camps
Triwest Deployment Support Video: “Help From Home”
Zero to Three: Coming Together Around Military Families
American Academy of Pediatrics: Support for Military Children & Adolescents
Sesame Street Family Connections