title: Effect of Multiple Deployments on Military Families: A Cross-Sectional Study of Health and Well-Being of Partners and Children.
abstract: This study explored the impact of multiple deployments on the health and well-being of the partners (married or de facto) and children of Australian military personnel who have deployed frequently. Permission to contact military partners was sought from a sample of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members. Partners provided data on deployment history, physical health, mental health, and their children's emotions, and behaviors. Associations between multiple deployments and health and well-being of partners and children were assessed using logistic regression. Data were collected from 1,332 Australian Defence Force partners (response rate 36%) with 1,095 children aged between 4 and 17 years. Almost half (47%) of partners had experienced more than one deployment, mainly to Timor-Leste, Iraq, and Afghanistan. There was little evidence of associations between numbers of deployments and the health of the partner. In contrast, more behavioral problems were reported for children who experienced two or more deployments with odds ratios generally greater than 2 and significant trends with increasing numbers of deployment. Although military families who experience multiple deployments may, by selection, be more resilient than those who have fewer deployments, these results suggest that adverse impacts on the children may accrue with increasing parental absences because of deployment.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Level 2, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans Health, The University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Annabel C L
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Level 2, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans Health, The University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeeva
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kanesarajah
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Level 2, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans Health, The University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Catherine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Runge
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Level 2, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans Health, The University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Level 2, Centre for Australian Military and Veterans Health, The University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Waller
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Level 2, The University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Annette J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dobson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000068337:Armed Conflicts / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D008875:Middle Aged; D066067:Military Family / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010333:Paternal Deprivation; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D049648:Timor-Leste; D055815:Young Adult