title: Well-being and suicidal ideation of secondary school students from military families.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The mental health of children is a primary public health concern; adolescents of military personnel may be at increased risk of experiencing poorer well-being overall and depressive symptoms specifically. These adolescents experience individual and intrafamilial stressors of parental deployment and reintegration, which are directly and indirectly associated with internalizing behaviors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study sought to better understand the influence of parental military connectedness and parental deployment on adolescent mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey examined feeling sad or hopeless, suicidal ideation, well-being, and depressive symptoms by military connectedness in a subsample (n = 14,299) of seventh-, ninth-, and 11th-grade California adolescents. Cross-classification tables and multiple logistic regression analyses were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 13% of the sample had a parent or sibling in the military. Those with military connections were more likely to report depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Controlling for grade, gender, and race/ethnicity, reporting any familial deployment compared with no deployments was associated with increasing odds of experiencing sadness or hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings emphasize the increased risk of mental health issues among youth with parents (and siblings) in the military. Although deployment-related mental health stressors are less likely during peace, during times of war there is a need for increased screening in primary care and school settings. Systematic referral systems and collaboration with community-based mental health centers will bolster screening and services.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. Electronic address: jcederba@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cederbaum
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Tamika D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Gilreath
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Rami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benbenishty
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Ron A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Astor
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.affiliation: College of Educational Studies, Chapman University, Orange, California.
authors.forename: Kris T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: DePedro
authors.affiliation: Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Monica C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Esqueda
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Hazel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Atuel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002140:California; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D066067:Military Family / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012306:Risk; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D059020:Suicidal Ideation
keywords: Adolescent; Depressive symptoms; Family; Military; Suicidal ideation