Sarah Lawrence Researchers Study Effects of Deployment On Military Families

The study being conducted by psychologists Adam D. Brown and Kim T. Ferguson aims to examine whether families that know more about the events that took place in each other’s lives during deployment will exhibit better psychological and behavioral well-being than those who don’t.

Based on findings from studies of non-military families, Brown and Ferguson say that although efforts are being made to address the psychological challenges facing military families, there is a major gap in understanding how families talk to each other about the time that they were separated.

Brown and Ferguson believe their data will lead to the development of programs to help guide family conversations around the topic of deployment. It is their hope that the findings of this study will shed light on how certain ways of discussing deployment can ease the transition from combat to civilian life and strengthen the entire military family.

Studies conducted in the years following the deployment of approximately three million Americans serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom show that veterans are at high risk for combat-related mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, and substance abuse. Some studies also suggest that military spouses are at elevated risk for a wide range of mental health issues. Divorce rates have tripled in military families, and children of deployed parents are exhibiting emotional and behavioral issues at levels above the national average. Brown and Ferguson are now interviewing families comprised of one person who was deployed to Iraq and or Afghanistan, another adult family member, and a family member aged between 8 and 25. To learn more about the study, call Adam Brown at 646-831-8657 or email slcmilitaryfamilies@gmail.com. To schedule media interviews with Brown and Ferguson, contact Judith Schwartzstein, director of public affairs, at 914-395-2219 or 914-924-7578. She can also be reached by emailing judiths@sarahlawrence.edu.

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