Search Results
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Military REACH Publications
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Military Branch of Service
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Military Affiliation
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Award Winning Publications
1.Parenthood and its effects on performance in active duty medical personnel
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2.Parenthood and its effects on the health and performance of dual-military Marines
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3.A dyadic perspective on PTSD symptoms’ associations with couple functioning and parenting stress in first-time parents
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4.New fathers’ perceptions of dyadic adjustment: The roles of maternal gatekeeping and coparenting closeness
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5.The moderating effect of parenthood in the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and lateral preference in Israeli reserve combat troops
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6.Military academy students can now retain parental rghts: Department of Defense options for managing the change
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7.The perceived effect of stressors on marital satisfaction among civilian wives of enlisted soldiers deployed to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope
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8.How do family structure and family process matter? A comparative study on the impacts of military deployment and single parenthood on children’s psychological well-being
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9.Gender disparities in career advancement across the transition to parenthood: Evidence from the Marine Corps
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10.Parenthood and psychological well-being: Clarifying the role of child age and parent–child relationship quality
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11.Supporting military family resilience at the transition to parenthood: A randomized pilot trial of an online version of family foundations
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12.Preliminary psychometrics and potential big data uses of the U.S. Army Family Global Assessment Tool
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13.Family demands and satisfaction with family life during the COVID-19 pandemic
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14.Military families: The impacts of having a first child during service on military mothers
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15.Military deployment of an adult child: Ambiguous loss and boundary ambiguity reflected in the experiences of parents of service members
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16.Preventive intervention for preschoolers at high risk for antisocial behavior: Long-term effects on child physical aggression and parenting practices
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17.Comparing fathering desires based on sexual orientation: A secondary analysis of the national survey of family growth
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18.The impact of changes in family communication on sustained mental health symptom improvement in parents/caregivers following a military family intervention
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19.Parenting stress among US Army spouses during combat-related deployments: The role of sense of coherence
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20.Programs that work, from the promising practices network on children, families and communities
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Research summaries convey terminology used by the scientists who authored the original research article; some terminology may not align with the federal government's mandated language for certain constructs.
Guiding New Families Through Parenthood: The New Parent Support Program
Guiding New Families Through Parenthood: The New Parent Support Program Written by: Kelly Hallauer Edited by: Kate Abbate In military families, everyday stressors can be heightened by factors like deployment or relocation. Having young children or being pregnant can add to these stressors and uncertainty, especially for first time parents. The New Parent Support Program (NPSP) works to help parents balance these stressors and ensure a successful transition through the journey of parenthood (Military OneSource, 2025). This article shares the services the NPSP offers, the needs they address, and how the services can be accessed. Services Offered by the New Parent Support Program The primary goal of the NPSP is to enhance the lives of children and promote their well-being, while offering services and information to make sure families thrive in their role as new parents along with their military lifestyle (Military OneSource, 2025). To meet their goal, the NPSP offers a variety of services to military families to help them balance family and military life. This includes home visits by professionals, such as nurses and social workers, parenting classes, organizing playgroups, and referrals to other resources. Home visits offer an opportunity for parents to ask questions related to behavior management, sleep schedules, breastfeeding, and more, in the privacy of the family’s home. Parenting classes are an interactive way to focus on topics like child growth, managing the demands of parenting, positive discipline, and self-care. Organizing playgroups can help families build their support system within the military community. The NPSP also offers referrals to other resources through the military health care system to ensure that additional benefits are used as needed. These services are essential to the positive impact that the NPSP can have. Mental Health Needs of New Military Families The transition period of pregnancy and childhood can be stressful for new parents, but the NPSP works to counteract this by offering varying methods of support. Pretorius and colleagues (2024) learned that participating in group prenatal care was shown to have a positive effect on a mother’s mental health by giving mothers an opportunity to talk about their stress and feel comforted by peers. The NPSP works to implement this research by offering parenting classes and home visits to discuss these concerns. Pretorius and colleagues (2024) were also interested in learning more about the effects that social support has on infant-mother attachment. Through a literature review, they learned when women perceived they had more social support (e.g., from their partners, peers, family members), they tended to have better perinatal mental health (i.e., up to 6 months after birth) and infant-mother attachment (Pretorius et al., 2024). Social support is offered by the NPSP through the opportunity to organize playgroups and build a military community. The New Parent Support Program also works to support couples during their parenting journey. Roth and colleagues (2024) investigated the relationship between how couples cope (i.e., dyadic coping) and the mother’s pregnancy and transition to parenthood. Overall, dyadic coping was beneficial to both the individual (e.g., quality of life, wellbeing) and the relationship (e.g., marital adjustment). Parenting classes work to help military couples manage the demands of parenting and feel confident in their ability to parent as a cohesive unit. Accessing the New Parent Support Program A 2023 report indicated that there are over 360,000 active-duty military dependents aged five and younger (DoD, 2023). The NPSP is free for these active-duty service members, as well as reservists, and national guard members. The program is available for military families expecting a baby or those who have a child aged three or younger (Navy, Army, Air Force) or a child aged five or younger (Marine Corps). These families are encouraged to participate in the services offered by the NPSP. The New Parent Support Program strives to support military families through a hands-on approach to mental health and stress related issues to promote child well-being and development. Access to the NPSP is based around individual installations, since in-person home visits and resources are provided. Families can enroll in the program through their installations New Parent Support Program office, Family Advocacy Program, or Military and Family Support Center. Families can locate the office of these programs on individual installations from the Programs and Services database provided by Military OneSource. References Jones, M. N. (2024). Military spouses’ perceptions of family stress and resilience during multiple relocations [Ph.D., Walden University]. https://www.proquest.com/docview/3131065353/abstract/CD7B13A4056342FAPQ/1 Military OneSource. (2023). Chapter 5: Active-duty families, dependents. Military OneSource. Chapter 5: Dependents – 2023 Demographics Dashboards Military OneSource. (2025). New Parent Support Program. Military OneSource. Support Programs for New Military Parents | Military OneSource Pretorius, K., Sposato, M. F., & Trueblood-Miller, W. (2024). Perinatal mental health and active- duty military spouses: A scoping review. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 24(1), Article 557. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06727-1 https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-Pretorius2024 Roth, M., Weitkamp, K., Landolt, S. A., & Bodenmann, G. (2024). Couples’ dyadic coping in the context of child-related stressors: A systematic review across three decades. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 13(3), 202-223. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000237 https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-RothM2022 Wu, S., Kaplan, J., Trautwein, M. L., Nelson, D. A., Duong, A., Woolaway-Bickel, K., …Kurina, L. M. (2024). Incidence and predictors of postpartum depression diagnoses among active-duty U.S. Army soldiers. Journal of Women’s Health, 33(12), 1625–1634. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2023.1010 https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-Wu2024 RIA categories: Military Families Parents Resources Children Programming Research
REFLECTIONS AND PREVENTIONS FOR CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH
Being a parent is hard and comes with many challenges. Children misbehave because they often have difficulty following directions, and they may push their parents’ buttons to get what they want. It’s important for parents and caretakers to put support in place (e.g., a go-to person who can help when needed) to ensure they can raise their children in a healthy, effective way regardless of the challenges they face. When parents’ actions harm their child emotionally or physically, they are committing child abuse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). And while child abuse is on the decline, it’s still a pervasive problem in the United States today (Children’s Bureau, 2020). This article will discuss a few contexts in which child abuse can occur, stress management suggestions for parents, and available resources for child abuse prevention, specifically within the military. Understanding Child Abuse Children who experience abuse can suffer long-term effects on their physical and mental health, such as depression, anxiety, and chronic health conditions (Maschi et al., 2013). Research and social learning theory (i.e., modeling behaviors observed in one’s environment; McMillen & Rideout, 1996) show that child abuse often occurs within a family cycle: if you have experienced abuse yourself, you are more likely to abuse as a parent (Morgan et al., 2022). Similarly, children who see fewer examples of emotional regulation from their parents or caregivers will have fewer opportunities to learn such skills and become more likely to perpetuate the cycle (Osborne et al., 2021). In addition to the role of generational abuse, the challenges that new parents face also can also contribute. Parenthood is stressful enough, but the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how compounding stress affects families. The pandemic heightened stressors for parents, but their typical resources (e.g., daycare, school), perceptions (e.g., thoughts about how a stressful event may affect their family), and coping strategies (e.g., creating positive meaning, social support) were less effective, which, in turn, increased child maltreatment (Wu & Xu, 2020). When parents have reduced coping skills and a decreased ability to regulate their own emotions, their children can be less likely to develop the same skills (Osborne et al., 2021). Additionally, parents with maltreatment histories themselves often struggled with regulating their emotions then passed the struggles to their children (Osborne et al., 2021), in turn hindering an effective coping skill these children might use when experiencing stress as an adult. How to Cope Identifying healthier coping skills and means of emotional regulation (e.g., not holding onto anger) can be one way for parents to improve their well-being and limit opportunities for abuse. Some potential coping skills are: Creating a community for social support Talking with other parents about their coping skills Taking relaxation breaks (e.g., deep breathing, listening to music), even if only for 5 minutes Asking for help (e.g., with errands, babysitting) from community and friends Finding and using professional support when stress begins to pile up or when parents can no longer manage their stressors alone (APA, 2011). Prevention Efforts and Resources for Military Communities Just like civilian populations, military families can experience child abuse, and may even perpetrate it. Thankfully, the military has developed programs to support families and children experiencing abuse. One such program is the Family Advocacy Program (FAP), which works to prevent abuse and provide treatment for those affected by abuse. FAP also supports military families and connects them to local resources. Another program for Service members and their families is the After Deployment Adaptive Parenting Tools (ADAPT) program. At-risk families can use this program to build resilience, strengthen emotional regulation, and improve overall family well-being. The ADAPT program (which has been researched extensively) seeks to improve family functioning by teaching core parenting skills, such as teaching through encouragement, problem-solving, and emotional socialization. The New Parent Support Program assists military parents and expecting parents with transitioning into parenthood and developing a nurturing home. The program’s goal is to help parents build strong, healthy bonds with their children and manage the demands of parenting within the context of the military and its already-stressful job demands (e.g., deployment). Support and Resources for Those Who Have Experienced Abuse Having community support is essential to creating a buffer between oneself and the negative outcomes of child abuse. We know that experiencing abuse can lead to repeating the cycle with a child’s future family; however, there are also protective factors predictive of greater long-term psychological well-being for children (Siddiqui, 2015). Examples of such factors include receiving love from siblings or people outside of the family and participating in activities outside the home (e.g., school sports). These experiences can heighten a child’s sense of social support (Fasihi Harandi et al., 2017) and self-esteem (Liu et al., 2021). If you or your loved one experienced childhood abuse and still struggle with its effects, know that you are not alone. Below is a list of resources to help improve your well-being. Suicide & Crisis Line – 988 (https://988lifeline.org/) Child Help (https://childhelphotline.org/) MilParent Power ToolKit (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/parenting/children-youth-teens/milparent-power-toolkit/) Child Abuse Report Line for Military Families (877-790-1197 + 571-372-5348) It is important that we find healthy ways of coping with our stress so we can be positive role models for our children and families. If you need help coping, look within your community for mental health support programs or parenting classes (APA, 2008). Helping professionals should stay on top of reporting requirements and help their families create safe, loving environments for their children (APA, 2008). We still have a long way to go in preventing and limiting child abuse cases – ultimately, though, prevention starts with us.
A SALUTE TO OUR WOMEN SERVICE MEMBERS FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Women have supported the U.S. Military since our country was founded with the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), although they weren't formally recognized as Service members until 1948. Over time, women’s roles to serve our country have evolved over time, but their capability has never wavered. In this piece, we will explore the roles of women throughout our military history related to varying policies, their contributions to our country, and discuss recent research findings about women Service members. During the Revolutionary War, women found unique ways to aid in the war effort, such as mending clothing, tending to wounds, foraging for food, cooking, cleaning both laundry and cannons, and traveling alongside different militias. In addition, some women disguised themselves as men to fight on the front lines (DeSimone, 2022). Similarly, while women were not allowed to enlist in the Civil War (1861-1865), approximately 1,000 women across the Union and Confederate armies fought while disguised as men (DeSimone, 2022). One of these revolutionary women, Margaret Corbin, was the first woman to receive a military pension (Michals, 2015). In fact, throughout the Civil War, a further 20,000 women served in other ways (e.g., growing crops, sewing, laundry, collecting donations, running fundraising campaigns). But their greatest contribution was serving as nurses for the Union Army. One such volunteer, Clara Barton, went on to found the Red Cross, an influential relief organization to this day (American Red Cross, 2023). During the 20th century, women experienced a shift in the recognition of and allowance for their military service. 1901 saw the start of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, with a total employment of 403 nurses; by 1918, that number had grown to 3,000. At the same time, a shortage of men available for clerical “yeoman” duties, such as operating telephones and radios and acting as translators, led the Navy to recruit women for these jobs. The first “yeomanettes” served the Navy between 1917 and 1918 (during WWI [1914–1918]; DeSimone, 2022). By WWII (1939–1945), the military enlisted women across all branches. The Army had the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and the Army’s Women Airforce Service Pilots. The Navy had Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. The Marine Corps had the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. And the Coast Guard’s Women’s Reserve was called Semper Paratus (“Always Ready”). This was a huge victory for women during this time. Throughout WWII, some 350,000 women served the United States in non-combat roles. These roles were not without risk, though: 432 women gave their lives during the war, and a further 88 were taken as prisoners of war (DeSimone, 2022). It wasn’t until 1948 that President Harry S. Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act into law, allowing women to serve as full, permanent Service members across the entire military. (The same year, President Truman also issued an executive order integrating the Armed Forces; in addition to desegregating the military, this order also allowed Black women to serve in all branches.) While President Truman’s order was an important step for women, it was still not a complete victory for equal opportunity; women were allowed to comprise only 2% of each branch, and there were limitations on how many women could become officers. Shortly after these acts and orders became law, U.S. involvement in the Korean War (1950–1953) saw 120,000 women serve in two types of positions: (1) those similar to the positions they served in in the past or (2) in active-duty, non-combat positions, such as military police officers and engineers. The U.S.’ involvement in the Vietnam War (1955–1975) resulted in nearly 11,000 women stationed in Vietnam, 90% of whom were nurses in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It was during this war that President Lyndon B. Johnson allowed women to be promoted to general and flag ranks, and, by 1972, women were able to command units. And the following year, the Pentagon announced that women could remain in the military even if they were pregnant (DeSimone, 2022). Following the Korean and Vietnam Wars, women continued to pave their way in the U.S. Armed Forces, such that during the Gulf War (1990-1991), over 40,000 women deployed to combat zones, although they were still unable to serve in direct combat. Then, in 1994, President Bill Clinton rescinded the “Risk Rule,” which restricted women from serving in roles that would expose them to risks associated with direct combat (e.g., hostile fire, capture) (DeSimone, 2022). This meant that women could now serve in thousands of new positions, even those that could expose them to these risks (e.g., bomber pilot, fighter pilots) (McGrath, 2001). From the late 20th century to today, there has been a lot of progress for women in the United States Armed Forces, as well as a lot of firsts. The following is just a partial list: In 1975, Commander Paige Blok became the first woman Navy fighter pilot (Eckstein, 2019). Army Sargent Leigh Ann Hester was the first woman Soldier to be awarded the Silver Star, for bravery during a 2005 enemy ambush on her supply convoy in Iraq (DeSimone, 2022). In 2008, General Ann Dunwoody became the first woman four-star general, which happened to be for the Army (Lopez, 2012). And in 2013, Chief Karen Voorhees was the first woman Aviation Survival Technician to become Chief of the Coast Guard history (Booker, 2021). In addition to these noteworthy firsts, 2013 was also the year that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the end of the ban on women in combat and that women Service members would be allowed to serve in direct ground combat roles. These changes took effect in 2015; women became eligible for thousands of military jobs as a result. Since then, over 100 women have graduated from the Army’s ranger school (DeSimone, 2022) and 8 have participated in the Navy SEAL officer assessment and selection process (Kime, 2022). The history of women in the U.S. Armed Forces speaks for itself, but it is worth noting that there are more women in the Forces than ever before. Since 9/11, more than 300,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, and over 9,000 have earned Combat Action Badges. Today, women make up approximately 16% of our Armed Forces (DeSimone, 2022). The increase in women Service members makes it important to recognize not only their effects on the history of the military but also the unique experiences and challenges that women face while serving our country. One way to better understand these experiences is through research; luckily, Military REACH has an arsenal of it on women Service members. What we see in the research is similar to the history: though women are strong and resilient, they continue to face gendered challenges and have to advocate for themselves. One related and important note is that research is intended to help answer questions or find solutions to problems; therefore, research typically takes a deficits-based approach (Shea, 2021). Please keep this in mind when reading literature on the topic of women Service members. Across the literature, we have seen: Women reporting challenges to relationships, family life, marriage, pregnancy, and parenthood (Erwin, 2022; Leslie & Koblinsky, 2017; Lawrence et al., 2022). Women Service members affected disproportionately by intimate partner violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and military sexual trauma (Portnoy et al., 2020; Dichter et al., 2018; Breslin et al., 2022; Dardis et al., 2017) Women facing health challenges, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, emotional reactivity, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, chronic health conditions, increased tobacco and alcohol use, and obesity (Lehavot et al, 2012; Portnoy et al., 2020; Leslie & Koblinsky, 2017) Women reporting challenges to career development and navigation within the military (Erwin, 2022). However, even in the face of these challenges, Servicewomen still have positive things to say about their military experience, including their service attributing positive meaning to their lives (Leslie & Koblinsky, 2017). Military REACH in particular has heard first-hand perspectives of women in the military through the interviews we compiled in the Research-In-Action article, “Perspectives of Service among Women Service Members and Veterans.” Clearly, women are a force to be reckoned with, and I am proud to see the progress women have made and the barriers they have overcome to serve our country! Happy Women’s History Month, Servicewomen – and, most importantly, thank you for your service.
THEORY SERIES: FAMILY SYSTEMS THEORY IN A MILITARY CONTEXT
This month, Military REACH continues our Theory Series, where we break down the common frameworks family scientists use to better understand family experiences. Specifically, we will focus on Family Systems Theory (Kerr & Bowen, 1988). We will provide an overview of the model with examples from a vignette, connect it to military family experiences, and suggest how military families can use knowledge of Family Systems Theory to overcome the challenges they face. Family Systems Theory Overview Vignette: The 2002 Disney film Lilo and Stitch follows the adventures of Lilo and Nani Pelekai, two Hawaiian sisters, who must look out for one another after their parents die in an accident. Nani, the older sibling, becomes Lilo’s primary caretaker. To complicate things, the sisters are forced to adopt Stitch, an alien who crash-landed on Earth, as their pet. Throughout the film, the Lilo and Nani navigate their grief and adjust to their new family structure. Lilo and Stitch highlights the challenges that arise when life throws you curveballs, but also gives hope that family members can work together to overcome obstacles and create a new normal. According to Family Systems Theory, a family system is a collection of interdependent family members who seek to maintain a balance in overall family functioning. Each family member adopts a role (e.g., parent, child, sibling) based on the behavior they exhibit when interacting with other family members. These interactions can take place among subsystems of family members (e.g., parent-child, spouse-spouse, sibling-sibling) or among the family system as a whole. Key principles of Family Systems Theory (Smith & Hamon, 2017, Chapter 5): The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The family system is not merely a collection of independent family members. Rather, family members are interdependent, and their interactions and experiences contribute to family functioning as a whole. Each member of the Pelekai family takes on an individual role (i.e., older sister/guardian, younger sister/dependent, and alien/pet). In addition to members as individuals, the network of relationships among Lilo, Nani, and Stitch (i.e., sister-sister, guardian-dependent, owner-pet) further constitutes their “family” unit. Individual and family behavior must be understood in context. Each individual is a cog in the machine of the family. Understanding an individual family member’s actions or behavior requires considering their needs, perspectives, or experiences. After losing their parents, Nani struggles to adapt to her new role as a parental figure and Lilo struggles to process the loss of her parents. The sisters’ individual stress influences their interactions with each another and leads to tension in their relationship. A family is a goal-seeking system. Family members work together to achieve common goals. These goals change as families grow and develop over time. At the threat of Lilo’s removal from Nani’s custody and placement into foster care, the sisters work to prove that Nani is a competent caretaker for Lilo. Families are self-regulating systems driven by feedback. Families respond to change through positive feedback loops (i.e., change that sustains or enhances) or negative feedback loops (i.e., change that causes fluctuations in family functioning). Though Stitch is initially a self-serving alien who creates chaos for the Pelekai sisters, Lilo’s repeated attempts at teaching Stitch kindness eventually lead the alien to understand the value of family love. Family systems seek to achieve equilibrium. In response to change, family systems look for stability and return to the status quo (i.e., equilibrium). Despite the wild adventures Lilo, Nani, and Stitch embark on throughout the film, in the end, their small family finds balance and creates a new normal. Family Systems Theory and Military Families Family Systems Theory emphasizes the importance of understanding the experiences of family members in the context of the family as a whole. This perspective of interdependence is particularly relevant for military families. For example, though Service members are deployed overseas and technically independent of their families, the at-home family members must respond to the stress and effects of deployment on their lives. Another example of familial interdependence is the lasting effects of trauma. Service members and Veterans who suffer traumatic experiences may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD and its related symptoms (e.g., increased sensitivity, shorter temper) can alter how Service members and Veterans interact with their family members and it can affect their daily lives. Thus, just as a pebble tossed into a pond creates ripples regardless of the pebble’s size, individual experiences – military-specific or otherwise – have consequences for all family members, interactions among family members, and family functioning (Monk & Marini, 2022). Implications of Family Systems Theory for Military Families Family systems theory is a useful tool for military families to understand how to respond to stressful events. Here are some points your family can keep in mind moving forward: A family is a team. Think of each family member as a puzzle piece. Together, the pieces form a completed puzzle. One family member’s struggles can affect their relationships with and the well-being of other family members. Remembering that you are all on the same team and working together to support one another through family challenges (e.g., trauma, transition out of the military), can boost individual and family resilience. Instability doesn’t last forever. Change is normal, whether the result of stressful events (e.g., deployment) or common family transitions (e.g., parenthood, children leaving for college). Though changes can disrupt a family’s functioning, families have a natural tendency to return to stability. Like the pebble tossed into the pond, ripples will form – but, with time, they will also cease. In some cases, families can stabilize on their own by reevaluating their needs and collective goals and proceeding accordingly. Other times, families may be unsure how to overcome especially stressful circumstances on their own. Instead of a pebble, think of a boulder dropped into a pond. This time, the ripples are waves, and they may overturn your boat. During uncertain periods, seeking professional guidance (e.g., marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling) may help your family overcome stress and change and create a new normal. Communication is key. No one is a mind reader. When stress arises, family members need to communicate their needs. Doing so is easier when families establish clear communication plans and boundaries during periods of stability. Make it a habit to check in with one another and openly communicate your feelings. Ask what may be causing stress in your family members’ lives, so you’ll know when to be supportive. For example, when deployment looms, talk about what topics you will want to discuss during the deployment, how frequently you want to keep in touch, and which topics you want to wait to talk about until after the deployment.
DEPLOYMENTS AND PREGNANCY
DEPLOYMENTS AND PREGNANCY By: Caroline Hale and Kate Abbate Deployments are hard for families with or without children, and they can become even more difficult when pregnancy is an added factor (no matter how excited you may be!). Ideally during pregnancy, families can spend most of their time together. However, that’s not the reality for many military families due to the demands of the military lifestyle. In addition, pregnancy comes with its own challenges – hormonal changes, financial stressors, and more. When deployment is added on top of the pregnancy, challenges can quickly pileup and be difficult to manage. We will share information about these challenges and provide resources to assist you with navigating them. Effects of Deployment During Pregnancy When the expectant parent, or their partner, is deployed, it can lead to a challenging pregnancy. Two common outcomes related to prenatal deployment (i.e., when a spouse is pregnant during deployment) are stress and depression. Listed below are a set of facts that provide information about the links between military service, pregnancy, stress, and depression. Did you know: - Active Duty pregnant Service members experience more stress compared to their civilian counterparts? - Mothers with children already at home are likely to have increased stress during their current pregnancy? - Throughout the pregnancy, mothers are likely to experience elevated stress when their partners are deployed compared to mothers whose partners are not deployed? - Mothers are more likely of having a preterm delivery when their partners are deployed? - Mothers are 3x more likely to experience postpartum depression when their partners are deployed compared to mothers whose partners are not deployed? Helpful Resources The information mentioned above may seem daunting; however, there are several ways you can reduce the likelihood of these outcomes from occurring. The suggestions below range from in-person to online options. The goal is to provide you with a range of options that will best fit your lifestyle. You can: - Participate in classes or counseling services focused on stress and depression management, - Participate in parenting educational support programs like the Family Foundations Program whose goal/mission is to assist families with transitioning to parenthood, - Utilize specific resources targeted towards parents whose partners are deployed, - Explore and utilize the pregnancy-related resources offered through Military OneSource, a freely accessible website to Service members and their families, and - Use social media to find a supportive network of people who may be experiencing, or have experienced, a similar situation. You can start your search on social media with terms like “prenatal deployment” and “military families.” Each of these resources address a different challenge associated with pregnancy when an expectant parent or their partner are deployed. In addition to these resources, be sure to surround yourself with ample support from friends and family during your pregnancy, which can make a world of difference in the outcomes of your pregnancy!