Supporting military families with young children: Results from a needs assessment and pilot phase of a home-based prevention program for National Guard/Reserve families

Current war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have required more frequent and less predictable deployment rotations, along with greater reliance on National Guard/Reserve units (NGR), than any previous US conflict. Repeated, lengthy deployments result in increased child attachment disturbances, as well as depression, anxiety, and increased behavior problems in young children (Cozza & Lieberman, 2007; Barker & Berry, 2009). This paper presents findings from the first phases of a Department of Defense funded project to provide home-based services to NGR families with very young children. As part of intervention planning, researchers conducted ninety in-depth interviews with service members, spouses and key informants to assess needs and maximize input from military families with young children regarding deployment-related experiences and reintegration issues. Qualitative coding and analysis of data reveal four primary themes: 1) service member and spouse mental health issues such as PTSD and depression; 2) parental perceptions of war-related experiences and their impact on parenting; 3) recognition and response of parents to children's deployment separation reactions, and 4) veteran/parent reintegration issues. These qualitative findings subsequently informed the development of a 10-module home-based intervention piloted with ten families. While pilot data are still under analysis, preliminary findings have helped establish feasibility of the measures, relevance of home-based delivery of services, and ecological validity of family-specific treatment for a wide range of families. Implications for the development of preventive interventions that support NGR populations throughout the deployment cycle will be discussed.