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Summary
Service members and veterans may face some different health issues than civilians. Their families may also face some unique challenges, such as:
- Being separated from their loved ones.
- Worrying about a loved ones' safety in combat zones.
- Coping as a single parent while their partner is deployed.
- Having to move frequently.
- Helping their loved one deal with Illnesses and injuries from combat, including disabilities. This can lead to caregiver stress.
- Helping their loved one cope with the mental health effects of military service. These could include depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Dealing with these challenges can be difficult. Some possible sources of help include:
- Getting support from your family and community
- Using military outreach programs, which help families feel less isolated
- Professional counseling
Learn More
- 5 Ways to Cope When a Loved One Leaves for Military Service (for Teens) (Nemours Foundation) - In English and Spanish
-
Complementary Health Practices for U.S. Military, Veterans, and Families
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Deployment Resources for Families (Department of Defense)
- Find a Doctor (Defense Health Agency)
- Military Families (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
- Military Families: Coming Home (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- VA benefits for family and caregivers (Department of Veterans Affairs)
- VA Caregiver Support Program (Veterans Health Administration)
Related Issues
- Helping Your Family Cope with Military Deployment (Nemours Foundation)
- VA Caregiver Support Program (Veterans Health Administration)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Military Family
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Parenting Profiles in Military Families: Intervention-Related Transitions and Relationships to Child...
- Article: Pre-existing parental stress and youth internalizing symptoms predict parent-reported COVID-related stress...
- Article: Animal-assisted interventions for military families: a systematic review.
- Veterans and Military Family Health -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- Psychological Health Center of Excellence (Defense Health Agency)
Teenagers
- 5 Ways to Cope When a Loved One Leaves for Military Service (for Teens) (Nemours Foundation) - In English and Spanish
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.