HDFS 3920 Final

The U.S. military is (shrinking/growing)

Shrinking

How do the experiences of recent veterans differ from those of previous wars?

- Recent veterans served in an all-volunteer force- Many experienced deployments with little time at home in between (higher number of deployments and longer cumulative durations)- New distinct injury profiles relative to previous wars

What race are most U.S. military members?

White

What gender are most U.S. military members?

Male

What percent of U.S. military members are married?

About half

True/False: Most U.S. military members serve in enlisted ranks

True

(Active/reserve) soldiers are more likely to have children

Reserve - 38.4% active, 41.5% reserve

What are the 3 major military operations post 9/11?

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)Operation New Dawn (OND)

Life-course perspectives

conceptualize human development as comprising processes that unfold over time and emphasize that individuals shape their own life course through the choices they make and actions they take, within constraints imposed by historical and social contexts.

What are the major concepts of the life course theory in connection to military families?

Historical timeTransitionsTiming of transitionsLinked lives

Historical time

Helps us understand events in larger contexts; major sociohistorical events;
i.e, veterans today have different experiences compared to those during the Vietnam War

Transitions

bring changes in roles and statuses to the individuals involved; can be common (like retiring) or rare (like deployment)

(Common/rare) transitions are typically easier to cope with

Common - people generally have prior knowledge or experience and know what to expect

Why is the timing of a transition important?

Even common transitions can cause negative stress when they happen unexpectedly or at a time in life that does not conform to societal expectations; when transitions occur can impact stress/perceptions/etc.;

Linked lives

connections people have not only to one another but also to larger contexts such as other generations in their family, other people in the society, and historical events; emphasizes the connections between the transitions of one family member and the experiences of other family members.

True/False: Service members today experience longer separations from their families and greater risk of exposure to combat and injuries

True

The proportion of veterans in the general population is (smaller/bigger) than veterans of previous wars

Smaller
Veterans today may enter civilian communities with little familiarity with their experiences and may struggle to find support

The estimated survival rate from recent wars is (higher/lower) than for previous wars

Higher - 90% today versus 70% in Vietnam

Injuries sustained in recent wars are most often due to what?

Explosives, which tend to cause multiple injuries

Injuries sustained in the Vietnam war were most often due to what?

Gunshots

What are some examples of transitions that veterans may experience?

Education, employment, and wounds or injuries (including suicide)

True/False: Many veterans enter or return to colleges to continue their education

True

True/False: Veterans have historically been successful in pursuing higher education

True

What initiative for veterans includes educational benefits aimed at increasing educational attainment?

The GI Bill

What are some challenges that student veterans may encounter?

Navigating benefit procedures adjusting to nonmilitary environmentBeing olderCoping with others' insensitivity to war

Combat exposure and PTSD symptoms are (negatively/positively) related to educational performance and social functioning of student veterans

Negatively

Student veterans are (more/less) likely to engage in risky behaviors (i.e, alcohol/drugs) and violence

More

The unemployment rates of male OEF/OIF/OND veterans have been (higher/lower) than those of nonveterans

Higher

The unemployment rates of female OEF/OIF/OND veterans have been (higher/lower) than those of nonveterans

Lower

Veterans of all ethnicity groups except _________ veterans had higher unemployment rates than their counterpart nonveterans

Black

(Younger/older) veterans are more likely to be unemployed compared to their nonveteran counterparts

Younger

How does military service affect job performance and employment?

Job performance and employment can be hindered by physical and psychological injuries related to military service; i.e, PTSD, employer hesitation, etc.

How can PTSD impact job performance and employment?

It has been linked to deterioration in work functioning and job loss

True/False: Employers may be hesitate to hire veterans with possible psychological problems like PTSD

True

Median earnings are higher for (veterans/nonveterans)

Veterans

True/False: Veterans of World War II outperformed nonveterans in education attainment and earnings

True

True/False: Vietnam War veterans did not outperform nonveterans in education attainment and earnings

True

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

structural injury and/or physiological disruption of brain function caused by an external force

What are the long-term outcomes of TBI?

impairment in cognitive functioning such as attention, concentration, reaction time, memory, processing speed, and decision-making
TBI is also related to increase in aggressive behaviors, unemployment, and relationship problems.

Veterans with a TBI have a (higher/lower) risk of having other psychological problems

Higher - this can delay recovery and make it hard to isolate the effects of TBI
Especially depression

Depression (increases/decreases) the severity of TBI in veterans

Increases

The rate of mental health problems is higher in veterans who have experienced what?

Combat, severe injuries, and military sexual trauma

True/False: PTSD is related to other mental disorders like depression and psychosocial problems like relationship/legal problems and violence

True

The chance of being diagnosed with major depression (increases/decreases) with combat exposure

Increases

What are protective factors for both PTSD and depression?

Resilience and social support

Resilience

Individuals' ability to adapt to changes and stress
The capacity of a dynamic system to adapt successfully to disturbances that threaten system function, viability, or development

What is the third-leading cause of death among U.S. military members?

Suicide

Suicide rates have been (increasing/decreasing) for veterans

Increasing

What are risk factors for suicide in veterans?

mental health problems including PTSD and substance abuse, exposure to adversities during childhood, and stressful life experiences
Changes over the life course of veterans

What are protective factors for suicide in veterans?

Social support and optimism

Veterans of OEF/OIF/OND are at (greater/lower) risk of suicide than other veterans

Greater

Why are recent veterans at greater risk for suicide?

TBI is more common - risk for suicide
Volunteer force -> general population lacks deep understanding and shared experiences -> lack of social and community support
More and longer deployments -> prolonged combat experiences -> suicide risk

What are some individual transitions that military spouses/partners experience (particularly during deployment)?

Frequent relocating / separationsAdditional household/parenting responsibilitiesWorrying about service memberChallenges when service member returnsNegative impacts on employment

Frequent relocations have (positive/negative) impacts on military spouses' careers

Negative

What are additional challenges spouses may experience during deployment?

Additional household and parenting responsibiliesMay constantly worry about safety of deployed service member while trying to maintain intimate connections with them

During deployment, spouses have been found to experience depression and anxiety disorders at rates (higher than/similar to/lower than) service members after deployment

Similar to

During deployment, spouses have been found to experience depression and anxiety disorders at rates (higher than/similar to/lower than) spouses not experiencing deployment

Higher than

What new challenges can arise when service members return from deployment?

Family tasks must be redefined, renegotiated, and redistributed
Some spouses may struggle to relinquish autonomy to make decisions
Some couples may struggle to reconnect/communicate
Some spouses report depression, anxiety, PTSD, and relationship difficulties

Challenges are (greater/lower) for spouses of injured service members

Greater

What are the top barriers to employment reported by spouses of deployed service members?

Demands of military jobsProblems finding childcareFamily responsibilities

How can deployment affect spouses' employment?

Can be a barrier to employment
Some spouses may leave paid employment because juggling work / family demands is too much
Employers are hesitant to hire because they know the family may relocate

Military life brings several benefits to children, such as:

Access to health care, housing, subsidized childcare, and parental income

Military children report (higher/similar/lower) rates of psychological and physical health problems as civilian children

Similar

Military and civilian adolescents are (similar/not similar) in the likelihood of using alcohol

Similar

Children's well-being is (positively/negatively) related to cumulative duration of deployments

Negatively

When are the negative effects of deployment on children's overall adjustment and academic performance the strongest?

During middle childhood (6 - 11 years)

When are the negative effects of deployment on children's overall adjustment and academic performance the weakest?

During adolescence (12 - 18 years)

Military adolescents are (more/less) likely to have had suicidal thoughts, used cigarettes/substances, and have more experiences of violence / harassment

More

Children's emotional, social, and academic problems during deployment/reintegration depend on what?

The well-being of the nondeployed parent

When nondeployed parents experience higher levels of distress, their children often exhibit (more/fewer) social and emotional problems

More

What are new challenges children may experience after deployed parents return home?

Fitting the returning parent back into the family routineRe-establishing closeness in the parents' relationshipDealing with returning parents' mood changesReconnecting with the returning parent

(Younger/older) children have more difficulties during reintegration

Older

Research on the effects of parental deployments on children has mostly examined (short/long) - term outcomes

Short

Military service has positive long-term effects on families, but especially for ________ ________ families

Ethnic minority

True/False: Deployment does not affect every marriage in the same way

True

What are the 5 different trajectories of marital satisfaction across the deployment cycle?

Steady, decreasing, increasing, turbulent, and dipped

True/False: The first deployment may be especially important for couple relationships

True

Besides deployment, what is associated with lower relationship quality in military couples?

Exposure to traumatic experiences and symptoms of posttraumatic stress

What marriage qualities are important to marital relationships after deployment?

Marital quality prior to deploymentAbility to exchange mutual support during deploymentReligious beliefs

True/False: During deployment, both spouses and service members struggle between the need to communicate to feel connected and the need to limit information they share with their spouse in order to protect the other from worrying

True

Wives of deployed service members who limited information sharing to protect their husbands reported (higher/lower) physical and mental health

Lower

Wives of deployed service members who disclosed stressful situations to their husbands reported (higher/lower) marital satisfaction after deployment

Higher

The benefits of frequent communication during deployment depends on what?

Marital quality prior to deployment

Service members who communicated daily with their spouses reported (higher/lower) marital satisfaction after deployment than those who communicated with their spouses less than once per week

Higher

What method of communication was related to higher marital satisfaction during deployment?

Traditional mail

The rate of reported child maltreatment in military families is (higher/lower) compared to civilian families

Lower - the rate has fluctuated though

What is a significant risk factor for child maltreatment in military families?

Parental deployment - departures to and return from deployments increase the risk of child maltreatment (esp neglect)

In a study of Air Force families, there were (more/fewer) maltreatment cases by deploying parents prior to than following deployment

More

In a study of Air Force families, when was the rate of child maltreatment by at-home parents the highest?

During deployment

In most cases, what is the primary source of practical support and emotional support for injured veterans?

Family members

What unique challenges do military family caregivers face?

Dealing with multiple injuries, navigating complex care systems, providing constant careCaring for mental / physiological injuries

Spouses of injured veterans often become the primary caregiver, placing them at risk for what?

Caregiver burden

Caregiver burden

Diverse stresses related to providing care

True/False: Spouses of injured veterans report higher levels of distress and (esp with PTSD) physical and psychological intimate partner violence

True

How do service members' injuries affect children?

Prevents parents from actively participating / joining in family activities -> spend less time with children
Children may feel uncertain about their parents or avoid them
Children have to deal with the loss of the parents they used to know
Children may experience sadness/confusion

The effects of parental injury on children depends on what?

The developmental status of the children
Younger children may exhibit behavior problems or revert to outgrown behaviorsTeenagers may withdraw from the familyOlder children may help take care of the injured parent -> caregiving challenges

Family life disruptions have been related to (higher/lower) distress in children

Higher

What are some unique aspects of military death which may make grief more complicated?

1. Death may occur during or following deployment2. Families are constantly aware of danger3. Families may not receive any / all of the remains4. Families may have to move away from military installations (social support/friends)

True/False: Military families do receive some supports after the injury or death of a service member

True

True/False: Family members may take great pride / meaning in their loved one's combat death

True