"Changing Routines:" An Exploration of Parental Stress and Child Adjustment During a Military Deployment

Abstract

A qualitative exploration surveyed 12 military parents about their experiences throughout the deployment cycle, including parental stress and child adjustment. The purpose of this study was to gather rich, personal responses via open-ended surveys conveying the effects military deployment has on families. Military families are a unique and diverse demographic with many risk and resilience factors affecting their daily lives and development. This study found five internal themes (parental stress, changes in routine, loss of support, child adjustment, and family resilience) and two external themes (time and the COVID-19 pandemic) reported by parents related to their deployment experiences. These findings build off existing literature and use theoretical frameworks to increase the understanding of military family experiences. In addition to the reports of hardships and increased stress, this study had novel findings regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the toll it had on deployed military families.