title: Introduction to the special section on communication and wartime deployment.
abstract: Over the past decade, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a heavy toll on the physical, psychological, and relational health of military service members and their families. The articles included in this special section of Health Communication add to the robust, interdisciplinary body of research on the health consequences of wartime deployment by examining how communication enables the recovery process of service members and their families. Because communication processes can signal health problems, construct and promote family resiliency, and shape the content and delivery of health interventions, our discipline's theory and research can help inform ongoing efforts to support military families as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication , Wayne State University.
authors.forename: Katheryn C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D003142:Communication; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors