How military-related stress and family relationships are associated with perceptions of work-family impact for married male service members with adolescent children
Research Report:
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Farnsworth, M. L., & O’Neal, C. W. (2024). How military-related stress and family relationships are associated with perceptions of work-family impact for married male service members with adolescent children. Military Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2024.2351750
Abstract Created by REACH:
TRIP
Focus:
Child maltreatment
Mental health
Parents
Youth
Branch of Service:
Army
Military Affiliation:
Active Duty
Subject Affiliation:
Child of a service member or veteran
Military families
Spouse of service member or veteran
Active duty service member
Population:
School age (6 - 12 yrs)
Adolescence (13 - 17 yrs)
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Methodology:
Quantitative Study
Authors:
Farnsworth, Meredith L., O’Neal, Catherine W.
Abstract:
Family members’ perceptions of challenges associated with military life can spillover to their relationships with one another and, in turn, inform service members’ beliefs of how their work impacts family life. The current study examined connections between active-duty fathers’, civilian mothers’, and adolescents’ perceptions of military-related stress, adolescents’ perceptions of quality of family relationships (i.e. parent-adolescent relationships), and service members’ perceived work-family impact (specifically work-related guilt and work-related enrichment). To examine these associations, a path analysis with secondary cross-sectional data was estimated using data from 228 Army families (each with an active-duty father, civilian mother, and adolescent offspring). The findings suggested that service members’ perceptions of military-related stress and adolescents’ relationship quality with both parents were related to service members’ work-family impact, specifically work-related enrichment. Such associations highlight the importance of high-quality parent-adolescent relationships for active-duty fathers’ work-family impact, which has implications for military families but, more broadly, for service members’ readiness and retention.
Publisher/Sponsoring Organization:
Routledge
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Keywords:
Military family, work-family impact, parent-adolescent relationship
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary
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