How Military Families Respond Before, During and After Deployment: Findings from the RAND Deployment Life Study
Abstract
The Deployment Life Study (DLS)a first-of-its-kind longitudinal studywas designed to assess the impact of deployment on military families and to help the Department of Defense, policymakers, and service providers better prepare these families for a deployment. The DLS surveyed more than 2,700 married military families from all branches (i.e., Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps) and components (active, reserve, and Guard) of the military. Up to three familymembersthe service member, the spouse, and a child age 1118 (if available)were surveyed every four months for three years. While deployment policies regarding length of each deployment vary across services, our study allowed us to define a study deployment for each family individually and monitor them across their own deployment-related experience. The DLS evaluated key outcomes, including the quality of marital and parental relationships; psychological, behavioral,and physical health of family members; child well-being; and military integration (or attitudes toward military service). Conducted from 2011 to 2015, the DLS allowed researchers to examine family functioning and individual well-being before, during, and after deployment. The analysis was designed to answer three questions, and our findings are detailed below.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1014438
Entities
People
- Benjamin R. Karney
- Sarah O. Meadows
- Terri Tanielian
Organizations
- RAND Corporation