Deployment and family functioning: A literature review of US operations in Afghanistan and Iraq

Gabriel L. Schlomer, Stacy Ann Hawkins, Christine Bracamonte Wiggs, Leslie Bosch, Deborah Casper, Noel A. Card, Lynne M. Borden

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have led to historically high rates of military deployment for the United States. The increased deployment tempo of the current conflicts necessitates a closer look at the literature on the impact of deployment on families specific to Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In this article, we review the qualitative and quantitative literature on the impact of OEF and OIF deployment on families. The review included 38 articles organized into four major areas: (1) Family Changes and Transitions, (2) Child Maltreatment, (3) Spouse Stress and Mental Health, and (4) Marital Relationship Quality. Results of this review are discussed in terms of the need for additional research on individual differences between families and greater emphasis on how deployment impacts the well-being of spouses. We conclude with a discussion of limitations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)86-98
Number of pages13
JournalFamily Science
Volume3
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2012

Keywords

  • child maltreatment
  • deployment
  • marriage
  • mental health
  • military family
  • stress
  • transitions

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