Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans Dr Annabel McGuire, Elliroma Gardiner and Catherine Runge The University of Queensland Centre for Military and Veterans’ Health (CMVH) Understanding the impact of Understanding the impact of military deployment on families: military deployment on families: An Australian study An Australian study Tuesday 10 th August 2010 – Presentation to the 13 th Annual Force Health Protection Conference
Transcript
Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans
Dr Annabel McGuire, Elliroma Gardiner and Catherine Runge
The University of QueenslandCentre for Military and Veterans’ Health (CMVH)
Understanding the impact of Understanding the impact of military deployment on families: military deployment on families:
An Australian studyAn Australian study
Tuesday 10th August 2010 – Presentation to the 13th Annual Force Health Protection Conference
Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans
Background of Family Studies
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family Study Program (launched 2007)Vietnam Veterans’ Family Study
• To identify any intergenerational effects of Vietnam service
Timor-Leste Family Study 2009-11
• To understand the effects of deployment on Australian
Defence Force (ADF) families from a recent
deploymentThe Timor-Leste Family Study is part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family Study Program
Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans
Current literature on families & deployment
The Timor-Leste Family Study is part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family Study Program
• Studies in the current international literature indicate that deployment has adverse effects on families
• However, individual and social resources are shown to intensify or ameliorate these effects
• Not a comprehensive literature• Few Australian studies
Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans
• To determine what, if any physical, mental or social health impacts there are on a service member’s family from the member’s deployment to Timor-Leste
• To identify any risk and protective factors that influence the ability of military families to cope with deployments
The Timor-Leste Family Study is part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family StudyThe Timor-Leste Family Study is part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family Study Program
Research Aims
Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans
1. Timor-Leste Deployment2. Physical Health3. Mental Health4. Family Health5. Child Health6. Social Health7. Risk and Protective factors
The Timor-Leste Family Study is part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family Study Program
Measures of interest
Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans
Methodology
The Timor-Leste Family Study is part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family Study Program
Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans
Focus Group participants
• 17 participants, female, aged 20-52 years• 82% married to the ADF member• 47% with children under 18 years of age• 13 of 17 were partners of Army personnel• Partner deployments to Timor-Leste,
Middle East, South Pacific & Africa
The Timor-Leste Family Study is part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family Study Program
Advancing knowledge about the health issues of Australia’s defence personnel and veterans
The Deployment Cycle
The Timor-Leste Family Study is part of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Family Study Program
Pincus, SH, House, R, Christenson, J & Adler, LE
cumplex Family ystems Model
Pre-Deployment (several weeks to a year)
Characterised by denial and anticipation of loss
mmon experiences included: long training hours for tary member, getting affairs in order, mental and
physical distance and arguments
eployment (1st month)
haracterised by a roller er of emotions and may be easant and disorganised.
racterised by establishing new sources of support and new routines.
Common experiences included: relying on new urces of support, establishing new routines and
eling more in control, independent and confident.
Redeployment (Last month)
is the last month before return – characterised by ntense anticipation, often with mixed emotions.
Common experiences included: anticipation of ecoming, excitement, apprehension, energy bursts
and difficulty making decisions.
Post-Deployment (3-6 months after)
rts with homecoming and time frame varies from family to family.
mmon experiences included: honeymoon period, s of independence for the spouse, need for one’s n space, renegotiating routines and reintegrating
into the family
sk & Protective Factors
Social support friends, family, military unit, military
community, local communityCommunication with deployed memberAge and stage of life pregnancy, children, ages of children
Personal circumstance k t t f il t l
sitive outcomes of deployment
creased Autonomy
sonal development
Strengthening of relationships
Where to next
Complete qualitative analysis
ntegrate findings into quantitative survey
Conduct questionnaire
Final report to Department of Veterans’Affairs mid-2011
ong term aim
To assist the Department of Veterans’Affairs and other key stakeholders in understanding any implications of the research findings for their programs and service delivery.
