A review of the impact of US military deployments during conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq on children's functioning

Abstract

Recent military conflicts have resulted in longer and more frequent deployments than past conflicts for US Servicemembers; this increased deployment tempo has potential consequences for youth's well-being. This review article synthesizes the research that has examined the impact of parental deployment in the United States since 2001 on youth's functioning. Extant literature reveals that, while parental deployment is directly associated with increased academic problems, it has a more complex association with behavior problems, peer relationships, and physical health problems. For these outcomes, variables such as parent well-being and child age played a role in the impact of parental deployment on youth. These findings highlight the need for additional research on the complex association between parental deployment and youth's functioning, and the factors that might moderate this association.

Keywords:

• military family
• deployment
• child functioning
• internalizing behavior problems
• externalizing behavior problems