Do Family Communication Patterns Buffer Children from Difficulties Associated with a Parent's Military Deployment? Examining Deployed and At-home Parents’ Perspectives

Abstract

Based on models of family resiliency, this study explored whether deployed and at-home parents’ reports of family communication patterns were associated with reported child difficulties and prosocial behavior during a military parent's deployment. Participants were National Guard families attending yellow-ribbon reintegration events. Parents completed the Revised Family Communication Patterns short-form measure as well as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire about their oldest child. For deployed parents, conversation orientation was associated with fewer reported child behavioral problems and more prosocial child behavior during the reunion period, suggesting that conversation orientation serves as a protective factor as service members reintegrate into the family. At-home parents’ reports of conversation orientation were not significantly associated with their reports of child difficulties or prosocial behavior. Future research needs to clarify how the communicative behaviors of deployed and at-home parents might function differently in promoting children's resiliency during a military parent's deployment and return.