title: Children of National Guard troops: a pilot study of deployment, patriotism, and media coverage.
abstract: This exploratory pilot study examined the psychosocial effects of the war in Iraq, patriotism, and attention to war-related media coverage in the children of National Guard troops across phases of parental deployment--pre deployment, during deployment, and post deployment. Participants included 11 children, ages 8 to 18 years. Data collected in each deployment phase included demographics, the Behavior Assessment System for Children, (Second Edition, BASC-2), patriotism (national identity, uncritical patriotism, and constructive patriotism), and attention to war-related media coverage. School problems and emotional symptoms were significantly higher during deployment than post deployment. National identity and constructive patriotism increased and uncritical patriotism decreased post deployment from levels during deployment. Uncritical patriotism correlated positively with emotional symptoms and correlated negatively with personal adjustment. Constructive patriotism correlated positively with emotional symptoms and with internalizing problems. Greater attention to war-related media coverage correlated with uncritical patriotism, and attention to internet coverage correlated with constructive patriotism. Attention to media coverage was linked to greater emotional and behavioral problems and was negatively correlated with personal adjustment. The results of this pilot study identified relationships of both patriotism and attention to media coverage with children's emotional and behavioral status and personal adjustment suggesting areas for future investigation.
authors.affiliation: Terrorism and Disaster Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA. betty-pfefferbaum@ouhsc.edu
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pfefferbaum
authors.affiliation: Terrorism and Disaster Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA.
authors.forename: Haekyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jeon-Slaughter
authors.affiliation: Terrorism and Disaster Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA.
authors.forename: Anne K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: J Brian
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Houston
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012933:Social Identification; D014481:United States