e-Publications@Marquette

The Effect of Military Deployment on the Parents of Those Deployed

This study proposes to examine the psychological effects of military deployment on the parents of those deployed. Questionnaires will be administered to parents of active-duty and recently discharged marines via the internet. Whether deployment is to an area where there is substantial risk of injury or death or to an area without such risk will be assessed. Parents’ personal distress, efforts to cope with stress, and attitudes towards mental illness and its treatment will be evaluated. We hypothesize that parents of those deployed in danger zones will report greater distress, and that distress will be influenced by media exposure and frequency of contact with the service person. We further expect that parents will express desire to understand mental health problems and their treatment better. Findings could help facilitate active and retired service members’ capacity to recognize and respond to mental health problems.

Necessary Audiovisual Aids: Easel to set poster on