Secondary PTSD in children is important to understand. It can happen to any child, not just those with one or more parents in the military, but for the purposes of this blog post we’ll be focusing on children in the military.
Military deployments not only impact the service members themselves but also have far-reaching effects on their families. This blog post summarizes a program presented at the 2012 American Counseling Association Conference by Christine R. Cook, Andrea A. Slater-Williams, and Lynn R. Harrison. The authors discuss the challenges faced by children of service members, particularly in the post-deployment stage, and provide strategies for helping professionals to support this vulnerable population. Let’s dive into secondary PTSD in children.
Understanding the Deployment Cycle: Military deployments consist of three phases: pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment/reunion.
It is crucial for helping professionals to recognize that services need to be continued for children throughout deployment and even long after post-deployment due to the development of secondary post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during this period. Multiple deployments further compound the need for ongoing support for the children of service members.
The Impact on Children: With approximately 49,000 U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and 103,700 deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the extended separations place a significant burden on military families. Children experience heightened stress and emotional challenges during these deployments, leading to a range of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and behavioral changes. It is crucial for helping professionals to understand the unique needs of these children and provide appropriate interventions.
Secondary PTSD and Its Effects: Secondary PTSD, also known as secondary traumatic stress, refers to the transmission of trauma symptoms to individuals who come into close contact with trauma victims. In the case of children of service members, exposure to the trauma experienced by their parents can result in the development of secondary PTSD. The severity of the trauma, parental reaction, and temporal proximity plays a significant role in determining the risk of secondary PTSD in children.
Strategies for Helping Professionals: Helping professionals working with children of service members should adopt a comprehensive and family-centered approach to intervention. This includes:
Psycho-education: Educating families about the effects of deployment and secondary PTSD can help them better understand and cope with the challenges they face.
Trauma-informed care: Utilizing trauma-informed approaches and evidence-based interventions can support children’s emotional well-being and resilience.
Strengthening family communication: Promoting open communication between service members and their children can facilitate their reintegration and adjustment after deployment.
Collaborative partnerships: Building collaborative partnerships between helping professionals, schools, and community organizations ensures a coordinated and holistic support system for children and their families.
Culturally sensitive interventions: Recognizing and respecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of military families is essential for providing effective support.
Children of service members are a vulnerable population who require specialized support from helping professionals. By understanding the unique challenges they face, recognizing the risk of secondary PTSD in children, and implementing targeted interventions, helping professionals can make a significant difference in the lives of these children and their families. It is crucial to continue research and education in this area to ensure the well-being of military families and promote resilience in the face of deployment-related stressors.
To read more about Secondary Trauma Syndrome or “STS” related to MilSpos visit our other blog post.
If you’d like to read the full report on STS in military children go here.
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