Well-Being and Suicidal Ideation of Secondary School Students From Military Families

Authors

Julie A. Cedarbaum, University of Southern California
Tamika D. Gilreath, University of Southern California
Rami Benbenishty, Bar Ilan University, IsraelFollow
Ron Avi Astor, University of Southern CaliforniaFollow
Diana Pineda, University of Southern California
Kris T. De Pedro, Chapman UniversityFollow
Monica C. Esqueda, University of Southern California
Hazel Atuel, University of Southern California

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

Background The mental health of children is a primary public health concern; adolescents of military personnel may be at increased risk of experiencing poorer well-being overall and depressive symptoms specifically. These adolescents experience individual and intrafamilial stressors of parental deployment and reintegration, which are directly and indirectly associated with internalizing behaviors.

Purpose The present study sought to better understand the influence of parental military connectedness and parental deployment on adolescent mental health.

Methods Data from the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey examined feeling sad or hopeless, suicidal ideation, well-being, and depressive symptoms by military connectedness in a subsample (n = 14,299) of seventh-, ninth-, and 11th-grade California adolescents. Cross-classification tables and multiple logistic regression analyses were used.

Results More than 13% of the sample had a parent or sibling in the military. Those with military connections were more likely to report depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Controlling for grade, gender, and race/ethnicity, reporting any familial deployment compared with no deployments was associated with increasing odds of experiencing sadness or hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation.

Conclusions Findings emphasize the increased risk of mental health issues among youth with parents (and siblings) in the military. Although deployment-related mental health stressors are less likely during peace, during times of war there is a need for increased screening in primary care and school settings. Systematic referral systems and collaboration with community-based mental health centers will bolster screening and services.

Comments

This article was originally published in Journal of Adolescent Health, volume 54, issue 6, in 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.09.006

Recommended Citation

Cederbaum, J. A., et al. (2014). Well-being and suicidal ideation of secondary school students from military families." Journal of Adolescent Health, 54(6), 672-677.
DOI:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.09.006

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

Elsevier