Warrior Care: Addressing Mental Health in Military Families
Military families are often at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues. As military spouses, we must deal with deployments, frequent moves, and family changes while trying to keep up with work and family life demands. We also face unique challenges related to mental health stigma due to the nature of military careers, making it even harder for us to seek help when we need it most.
Unique challenges military families face.
As military families, you face unique challenges that other families don't. You may be geographically removed from your extended family support network while in the military. Upheaval is a regular part of military life, whether frequently moving due to new assignments or having one parent deployed at any given time.
These changes can be complex for anyone, but for kids who are already dealing with mental health issues, these changes can put additional stress on them. It's common for military children to transition schools frequently—and when they do so, they often find themselves without friends or familiar faces around them as they adjust to new surroundings and routines. This transition can make it hard for kids to fit in socially until they've had some time to get used to their new environment.
Military parents often have to deal with the stress of being away from their kids for long periods. This can be especially difficult if you're a single parent or one of your children has unique needs that require more attention than others. For example, suppose one parent is deployed at any given time. In that case, many daily responsibilities for caring for your home and children fall on another person (e.g., a spouse). In addition, you likely have more obligations than most other parents in ensuring your kids are cared for correctly on an ongoing basis while they're away at school or playdates.
Another challenge is the stigma around mental health and therapy. For some people who have never been in the military, talking about their mental health issues or seeking treatment may seem strange or unnecessary if they've never experienced anything like this before—but when you live day-in-and-day-out with people who are suffering from things like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders, sometimes it takes seeing someone else go through similar experiences before it becomes easier to talk about yourself too!
And then there's access to care... You may find yourself having different providers depending upon where you're currently stationed, which makes continuity of care difficult; there's also no guarantee that even if one provider moves away from their current job location (which happens frequently), that another provider will accept their patients which means more transitioning back into new clinics!
Although it may be a struggle, you and your family can get the help and support you need to thrive.
While getting the help and support you need may be challenging, it's important to remember that resources are available. Getting the proper support can make a difference for your family—and the Department of Defense has programs to ensure that military families have access to mental health care.
Your best bet for finding someone qualified is reaching out through Military OneSource. Military OneSource provides confidential guidance and information on benefits, services, and resources for active-duty military members and their families—including psychological health care options. Additionally, Military Family Life Consultants (MFLCs), who provide counseling services at MTFs and family centers worldwide, are always happy to help no matter where you are!
If you don't live near an installation where your spouse or parent is stationed but still want help with mental and emotional health concerns, talk therapy via phone or video chat could be worth considering.
Conclusion
For military families, mental health issues can be incredibly challenging. Many have learned to cope with the stress of deployment and combat, but they may not know how best to help their children or spouses struggling with mental health conditions. Military families should seek help as soon as possible so that no one suffers in silence.
Written by: Blanca Palacios, MS, LPC Associate (Supervisor: Shawna Corley, Ph.D., LPC-S)
Blanca Palacios is a highly qualified therapist with a graduate degree in School Counseling from Capella University and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from California State University Long Beach. She holds the professional credentials of a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA: 89451) through the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council and a National Certified Counselor (NCC®: 1657529) through the National Board for Certified Counselors. Blanca's professional experience includes a social work and school counseling background, which has provided her with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in assisting adolescents, military families, and culturally diverse clients to navigate the emotional challenges they may face.
