Case Scenario
The current case study involves a child with emotional issues who is six years old from a middle-class socioeconomic status background. There are no other siblings at home. Parents are married and are actively involved with the child. The father is an active-duty parent in the military, and the mother is a stay-at-home mom. A parenting action plan will be developed to address the child’s problems coping with the frequently deployed father. A parenting action plan will be designed to address the child’s difficulty with emotional distress. Discuss the case in the context of home and school, providing solutions that include a home plan to address the parental separation and military community support.
Parental Deployment: Action Plan
It is a widely known fact that all children require permanent attention and support from their parents or caregivers. In fact, it helps children become mentally stable individuals who are capable of coping with negative situations and emotions. In turn, some parents are required to work in the military services. On the one hand, this job is respected in the entire world, as soldiers protect the nation and its dependent territories by risking their health and life. On the other hand, military deployment can become considerable stress for families. Taking into consideration that children are not able to control their emotions and some aspects of behavior, their well-being is usually affected by parental deployment to the fullest extent. As a result, the inability of adults to support their children during parental deployment can lead to the development of mental health issues in young family members.
In order to raise a mentally healthy person, adults are required to develop a high-quality action plan addressing the potential negative consequences of deployment. Nowadays, mental health specialists recommend a variety of therapies and strategies to use during different stages of deployment. Each of them has particular advantages and disadvantages, which is why it is essential to analyze them from different perspectives. Thus, to address the child’s difficulty with emotional distress, it is recommended to use an individual approach for each child who faces the deployment of at least one parent.
Statement of the Problem
The number of people engaged in military services increases annually. For instance, there were approximately 2 million total active-duty U.S. military personnel in 2019 (Mulholland et al., 2020, p. 34). Most frequently, these individuals leave their homes for a period of 3-15 months, although sometimes deployment can last longer. When it comes to soldiers with children, their number increases each year as well. For example, in the middle of the past century, only 15 percent of active-duty men were also parents (Nolan, 2019, p. 208). In the past 60 years, this situation has considerably changed. In 2015, almost 50% of military personnel had children (Nolan, 2019, p. 209). Therefore, parental deployment has become a vast problem for numerous American families.
Sometimes deployments occur during peacetime, which is why family members do not experience a huge amount of stress. In fact, they have the opportunity to keep in touch with the soldier through a variety of communication channels, including mobile phones and the Internet. Compared to the 20th century when people could only communicate through letters, it is easier to cope with a parental deployment today (Mulholland et al., 2020, p. 37). However, there are also period when one of the spouses has to leave their home to participate in military actions, which is an incredibly stressful situation for both parties (Posada et al., 2015, p. 659). During wartime deployments, children require considerable attention from the at-home parent and other relatives, as this period is frequently associated with anxiety, depression, and anger issues among young family members. In this case, parents and mental health specialists should join forces to develop an effective parenting action plan.
Incorporation of Research Findings: The Phases of Deployment
Despite the fact that the majority of individuals think that deployment consists of one short-term phase, this belief can be considered incorrect. While many people imagine deployment as a one-time tearful goodbye, this process includes 3 integral phases, such as pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment (Tubbs et al., 2019, p. 77). All of them should be considered during the development of a parenting action plan.
In the context of pre-deployment, it is important to highlight that this stage is based on numerous stressful events, such as dealing with legal issues and assigning a power of attorney. Even though these events are unavoidable, they can significantly affect the well-being of children and their parents (Tubbs et al., 2019, p. 81). In fact, the mix of these processes makes them perceive deployment as a tremendously traumatizing aspect of their lives. This stage plays a vital role in the mental health of underage individuals.
As the longest stage of deployment, the second phase is the most difficult period for the psychological health of both the child and at-home parent. Unprepared families are likely to experience uncontrolled feeling of emptiness and sadness. Therefore, to minimize the influence of parental deployment on the well-being of family members, it is essential to follow recommendations from the action plan developed in advance.
The third phase of deployment is characterized by the unpredictable combination of positive and negative emotions (Military One Source, 2010, para. 2). On the one hand, this stage is known as the so-called «honeymoon phase» when the entire family enjoys spending time together (Tubbs et al., 2019, p. 88). On the other hand, numerous things have likely changed since one of the parents left home. In turn, the inability of family members to find a common language can result in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder among children.
Incorporation of Research Findings: The Effect of Deployment on the Well-Being of Children
In spite of the fact that the majority of children experience similar effects of the deployment on their health, the age of young family members usually determines the consequences of this process. Research demonstrates that all children somehow are influenced by parental deployment, whether they are infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or tends. Taking into consideration that a boy from the case scenario is 6 years old, he is likely to experience the effects that are common for both preschoolers and children of school age. It is expected that the child can face higher emotional reactivity, depression, and withdrawal. Moreover, children in this age group frequently have eating and sleeping problems that should be addressed.
At the same time, an at-home parent’s level of stress plays an important role in the well-being of a child whose parent left home for military services. Scholars claim that children who faced parental deployment are more likely to suffer from psychological issues than children from other families and, thus, require assistance in terms of coping (Russo & Fallon, 2015, p. 411). Accordingly, the stay-at-home parent is required to display an example of how the process of military deployment should be handled. Emotional support should be also provided by the schools by introducing the programs assisting families during the parent’s deployment (Culler et al., 2019, p. 169). It is predicted that mentally stable adults are more likely to inspire their children to stay positive during such a difficult period. In turn, if one of the spouses is tremendously worried about the safety of the deployed partner, the underage person will experience the same emotions.
Parenting Action Plan
In order to develop an effective parenting action plan, it would be important to incorporate findings from evidence-based research studies. For example, filial therapy has proven to be a tremendously effective intervention for families facing parental deployment. In fact, researchers outline that mental health specialists practice this kind of therapy in order to provide emotional support for all the family members (Hicks et al., 2016, p. 210). In addition to filial therapy, it is also recommended to take into account cognitive behavioral therapy based on the idea to transform destructive or disturbing thoughts into positive behavior and emotions.
The first and main part of the parenting action plan should be based on the utilization of filial therapy intended to train parents in play therapy skills. As the language of children, play can be considered the most effective tool to communicate with younger family members and avoid the development of psychological issues. As a result, the mother of a 6 years old person should incorporate her skills into 30-minute once-a-week group sessions. During these sessions, adults have the opportunity to share their experiences with other people, as well as learn new information from the psychologist. Most frequently, this specialist increases the level of awareness of didactic instruction, role-playing, supervision, and a support group format (Hicks et al., 2016, p. 213). This therapy helps parents to learn how to communicate with children and support them in such a difficult period of life. If gained information is incorporated into practice, children are likely to develop a strong connection with adults, as well as experience an increase in self-acceptance and self-reliance.
In case this therapy does not bring positive consequences, it is essential to make an appointment with a psychologist who is able to practice cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with children. Nowadays, this kind of therapy is extremely popular in the whole world, which can be explained by its high level of effectiveness. This treatment intervention can be used in a variety of different situations, including cases when the child faces depression, anxiety disorders, parental deployment, as well as alcohol and drug abuse (Zhang et al., 2018, p. 725). Most frequently, mental health specialists use either individual CBT, group CBT, or CBT with parents. In the case of a family case scenario, it would be essential to pay attention to CBT with parents. First, the at-home adult would be able to learn how to communicate with the child during the period of deployment. Second, the 6 years old boy would find ways to cope with anger issues, anxiety, and depression.
The number of CBT sessions differs among children, although it is recommended to visit at least 6 meetings to achieve positive results. However, sometimes children require no less than 20 sessions to regulate negative emotions and behavior (Zhang et al., 2018, p. 725). If the deployed parent has the opportunity to visit CBT sessions with the child before leaving home, it should be done in advance. In this way, the mental health specialist can assess the psychological health of the child and develop the most effective plan to prepare the boy for parental deployment. If CBT and filial therapy do not bring positive consequences in the first several weeks, it would be important to use medications to treat anger issues experienced by the child.
In addition to suggested therapies, adults should take into account daily tips to minimize the effect of parental deployment on the well-being of the boy. For example, a child can express his or her feelings in a deployment journal (Bainbridge, 2020, para. 32). As a result, if the boy writes about his experiences before going to sleep, he will be less likely to be affected by depression in the future weeks. Second, it would be useful to foster communication of the child with the deployed parent. It is recommended to suggest the boy draw pictures and write letters. Moreover, deployed parents may use various sources to record the reading of a child’s favorite book for them to listen to (DeSimone, 2018, para. 7). By the way, it is vital to limit media coverage for the boy. In fact, if the parent works in a dangerous military zone, the child can experience numerous negative emotions causing the development of mental health issues.
Furthermore, even though many parents tend to believe that children should not be aware of the fact that one of the parents works in the military zone, this belief cannot be considered correct. The 6 years old child should have a general understanding of the situation that occurs in the family, although parents should talk about it in a kid-friendly manner (Zhang et al., 2020, p. 660). If the child realizes they were lied to, the psychological well-being of this person can be significantly affected by aggression, depression, and anxiety.
Accordingly, children’s mental health is tremendously dependent on the well-being of the entire family. In case the safety of one of the parents is questioned, the child is expected to demonstrate the signs of poor emotional health. Therefore, in order to minimize the effect of parent deployment on the child, it is important to take into account pre-deployment, deployment itself, and post-deployment. During the first stage, parents are required to hold regular conversations with their child about future deployment and its influence on the family. The second phase is usually characterized by the use of filial therapy and CBT therapy. The combination of these therapies can help adults adapt to new circumstances and learn how to communicate with younger family members. In turn, children can learn how to control their emotions and behavior. Finally, the last stage is based on the idea to readjust to family life. Thus, the parenting action plan is an integral tool for the regulation of family relationships.
References
Bainbridge, C. (2020). Books to help children cope when a parent is deployed.
Culler, E., Moeller, J., Runion, M., Perkins, K., Morgan, N., Aronson, K.R., Perkins, D.F., Dailey-Perkins, J., & Embler, S. (2019). School utilization of spouse perspectives on military parental absence for program planning. Children & Schools, 41(3), 169-178. Web.
DeSimone, D. (2018). 8 Best things to do with your kids when your spouse is deployed.
Hicks, J. F., Lenard, N., & Brendle, J. (2016). Utilizing filial therapy with deployed military families. International Journal of Play Therapy, 25(4), 210-216. Web.
Military One Source. (2020). Returning from deployment: Helping your family transition.
Mulholland, E., Dahlberg, D., & McDowell, L. (2020). A two-front war: Exploring military families’ battle with parental deployment. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 54, 34-41. Web.
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Posada, G., Walker, D., Cardin, J.‐F., Nyaronga, D., Schwarz, R., & Wadsworth, S. M. (2015). Maternal perspectives on deployment and child–mother relationships in military families. Family Relations: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, 64(5), 651–664.
Russo, T., & Fallon, M. (2015). Coping with Stress: Supporting the needs of military families and their children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 43(5), 407-416. Web.
Tubbs, A., Young, E. L., Heath, M. A., & Dyches, T. T. (2019). Military deployment in a family: Children’s literature as a basis for counseling support. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 58 (1). Web.
Zhang, N., Lee, S.-K., Zhang, J., Piehler, T., & Gewirtz, A. (2020). Growth trajectories of parental emotion socialization and child adjustment following a military parenting intervention: A randomized controlled trail. Developmental Psychology, 56(3), 652-663. Web.
Zhang, N., Rudi, J. H., Zamir, O., & Gewirtz, A. H. (2018). Parent engagement in online mindfulness exercises within a parent training program for post-deployed military families. Mindfulness, 9(3), 725-736. Web.