Summer 2014

The ‘Military Family Syndrome’ is it applicable today? by Donetta Quinones, Academic Research Solutions Current research on the impact of the deployment cycle on the military family has brought forth the necessity to reevaluate past research on the impact of the military community on the family unit. “The Military Family Syndrome” is an article published in 1978 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Dr. Don Lagrone

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The ‘Military Family Syndrome’ is it applicable today?

In 1978, Dr. Don Lagrone reviewed the case records of 792 children and adolescents who were seen in a military mental health clinic on a military base in the midwest. The results of his case review yielded some interesting results that could be applicable in today’s military environment.

Family-Friendly Environment and Soldier Performance: What leaders at every level should know.

It is no surprise, to civilian organizations, that work-life conflict can impact employee productivity levels. The military attempts to implement these practices however the success levels vary based on the willingness of unit leadership to implement family-friendly policies. Learn more about how family-friendly environments impact U.S. Army Soldiers.

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Summer 2014

discussed seven problem areas that he determined to be universally common among military families when he reviewed case records of children and adolescents diagnosed with behavioral disorders. The seven problem areas were identified as: the Military-Family Relationship, Father Absence, Transiency, Methods of Parenting, Scapegoating, Husband-Wife Relationship, and Treatment & Resistance. Comparisons were made between diagnoses made of children and adolescents in the military clinics compared with those from a Texas civilian clinic. The comparison yielded results demonstrating that behavioral disorders were more frequently made in military clinics. The author posed an important point that deserves further exploration: Are the diagnosed behavioral issues a demonstration of an “individual defect” or an expression of an attitude of disillusionment that the family experienced through involvement in (what Dr. Lagrone determined to be) a “pathological system”. "

" In review of The Military-Family Relationship, Dr. Lagrone noted the importance of understanding the military culture in order to understand the impact that it has on the family unit. He describes the military as an institution composed of various organizational systems that is under the administration of a small group of people. The small group of individuals promote efficiency in the accomplishment of mission directives that is transmitted through a chain of command."

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Are you aware of the effects of combat deployment on military children?

In a research article published by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Lester et al. (2010) concluded that parental combat deployment can have a cumulative effect on children. These effects can remain even after the military parent returns home from deployment. The psychological distress of the Active Duty (AD) parent and the At-Home Caregiving (AHC) parent are predictors of the levels of distress experienced by the child. Children were noted as experiencing significantly elevated levels of anxiety when compared to their civilian counterparts.

Researchers note the importance of addressing the elevated levels of anxiety in children due to the potential interference it may have with “…important child developmental tasks and family life.”

Parents and children can develop skills that will enable them to decrease the amount of psychological distress experienced by combat deployment. Involvement in social organizations and activities that mitigate the impact of the pending separation and also supports the family unit can help to decrease the anxiety experienced by the AHC parent and the children.

Summer 2014

%Military Culture%Dr. Lagrone describes the military culture as a system where “…one person’s infractions stand out against the compliance of the rest.” He described a process of assimilation (mortification) of the soldier into a system that promotes compliance as the individual’s life is managed by the military chain of command. The authoritative hierarchy directs the personal and professional development of the soldier; causing the soldier to sometimes experience frustration in his or her ability to: handle personal or professional affairs,

express personal or professional opinions, and communication of conflict with chain of command. Dr. Lagrone indicated that this systemic approach to the soldier is translated to the children and adolescents of these soldiers as family members (dependents) become the responsibility of the soldier who is expected to “enforce compliance within the family”. He stated that this is done to strengthen the soldier’s coalition with the military to bring about a cohesive military family unit."

Father Absence"

Dr. Lagrone’s research was conducted during a time when the military did not have a high rate of single-parent family units or families where the mother is the soldier. His research statements could still be justified as being applicable in 2014 as it was in 1978. He stated that “…the most severe stress a military family faces is enforced separation from the father”. Current research on the deployment cycle defends this idea that family separation from the soldier creates various stressors that impacts the functioning of the military family unit. "

The article outlined several key factors that is important to note when evaluating the problems that are universally common to military families. There is a difference between deployments and regular military-family separations. Deployments result in the soldier separating from the family to perform military duties in a military combatant environment. Regular military separations involve trips the soldier may take for military training, temporary duty, or administrative affairs. This factor is important because during a soldier’s military career, the family may experience several military separations that causes a family member to experience ‘separation anxiety’ and the responsibility of taking over functions of the absentee parent. Dr. Lagrone noted that the women he interviewed felt little support from friends and relatives during these separations. He mentioned the need for mothers and children to become physically and emotionally self-sufficient in providing support to one another. As outlined by many of the current articles on the deployment cycle, the soldier can experience difficulty reintegrating into the family unit due to the change in family dynamics."

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Transiency"

Dr. Lagrone mentioned a ‘gypsy phenomenon’ that is prominent in the military community due to the transient lifestyle of the family unit. This presents a problem for some family members as they may find a problem with forming relationships outside of the military community. He noted that members of the outside community may find it problematic to trust or depend on relationships with members of the military community. Military children and adolescents may experience problems becoming accepted into peer groups which may ultimately result in acting out behaviors. %

Methods of Parenting%

The parenting style found in military families were reviewed as being authoritarian, democratic, and a mixed-inconsistent style. Dr. Lagrone noted that some families felt as if they managed their children in a democratic fashion; however, they were authoritarian or inconsistent in their approach to parenting. His findings from the review of 792 children and adolescents revealed that nearly 93% of those with behavioral disorders came from authoritarian families. Further review of these cases revealed that the soldiers of these families were enlisted personnel who were not college educated and were

considering a career in the service. Dr. Lagrone noted how these soldiers came from similar family environments which he believed to be the reason for their ability to feel comfortable in operating within the military-family system. "

Scapegoating%

Dr. Lagrone described ‘scapegoating’ as a process found in the military that is carried into the family environment. The prohibition of the confrontation between soldier and higher enlisted along with the channeling of conflict

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through the chain of command causes ‘scapegoating’ which results in the “trickle down effect” with various entities or individuals being singled out as a source of grievance. Dr. Lagrone indicated that the purpose of this process is because, “…it is easier to single out someone as the cause than to examine the system.” The soldier is believed to carry this process home to the family environment; often focusing on a family member as the source of family conflict instead of examining the intricate nature of military family functioning. "

Husband-Wife Relationship%

Although it may sound old fashioned in its presentation, Dr. Lagrone’s discussion of the marital relationship is a current deployment related issue that is discussed in current research on the topic. Dr. Lagrone described the Husband-Wife Relationship as beginning with ordinary expectations of marital bliss with roles and responsibilities outlined by the dominant culture. Dr. Lagrone described situations with women marrying soldiers due to their attraction to their military machismo, however the problem arises when they are disappointed to find that the military created a compliant individual who may be unable to meet their emotional needs. Feeling rejected, Dr. Lagrone noted that the wife has no other choice than to become independent and feel emotionally estranged from the soldier during military separations. Dr. Lagrone presented another scenario that described the military soldier who returns home from a military separation to find that his once dependent wife is now independent. The soldier’s machismo is threatened by the wife’s newly found level of independence. These changes impact the functioning of the family system as family members attempt to readjust to the changes in roles and responsibilities."

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Treatment and Resistance"

Dr. Lagrone mentioned several points that members of the military community should take into consideration when seeking treatment or when experiencing resistance to treatment. These points include: "

" 1. The soldier has a strong coalition with " the military that cannot be broken until " the soldier separates from the military. "

" 2. Transiency disrupts the provision of "" treatment which can impact of therapy."

" 3. Scapegoating is a process that is used in " the military, the local community, and "" within the family unit. "

" 4. Resistance to therapy is prevalent in " military families, with officers """ demonstrating more reluctance than "" enlisted personnel due to concerns over " the privacy of their records. "

The research Dr. Lagrone presented from his case review in 1978 describes what he determined to be a pathological system that directly impacted the behavioral functioning of the family system. He concluded that the father is strongly aligned with the military system in such a way that he becomes its’ agent even within the family system. He believed that the ‘military family syndrome’ is a result of the father relying on military support while the family is forced to rely on themselves for emotional support. Dr. Lagrone acknowledged military support services; however he maintains that these support services are vehicles used to advocate support of the military family system. “Military therapists are subject to the same devices the system uses to enforce compliance in other system members…they might be in a rather rigid bind if they view themselves as

advocates for the family.” Dr. Lagrone goes on to say that “…the therapist remains an advocate of the military and the scapegoating process continues.” Dr. Lagrone defends his findings and comments as an attempt to understand a complex system that is applicable in other government institutions (i.e. - police force) in a later article published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 1982.%

Is the ‘Military Family Syndrome’ described in 1978 really that different from what the

military family is experiencing in 2014?%

Current research into the impact of military deployment on the military family acknowledges many of the points that Dr. Lagrone outlines in his 1978 article. Cale Palmer discusses the research findings that supports many of the claims made by Dr. Lagrone in his 2008 research article, “A Theory of Risk and Resilience Factors in Military Families”. The article reviews how parental stress and psychopathology experienced by military life impacts the life of military children. “The Parenting Cycle of Deployment” is a research article by Dr. Ellen R. DeVoe and Abigail Ross that identified those specific transitory challenges military families experiences when the military spouse deploys. They discuss the various stressors the “at-home parent” experience as they help their children to cope with the deployment and reintegration of the military spouse. Suzanne Marnocha (2012) outlines coping strategies military wives utilize during deployments. All of these research articles and more demonstrate how, “Military families are relatively unique with regard to the constellation of factors that influence them (Palmer, 2008)."

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Some may view Dr. Lagrone’s description of the military system as a pessimistic description of an organization that defends our country’s freedom. An attempt to have a balanced review of the research and my personal experience as a military child and a military spouse grants me the ability to say that Dr. Lagrone is correct in describing the military as a complex system that presents various factors that can negatively

impact the family unit. I also note that the military continues to evolve and has made various attempts to address past and current issues through various mandates and programs that are found to be beneficial in the civilian world. As the following research article outlines, perception is everything when reviewing the impact of military policy on the military family unit.

Family-Friendly Environment and Soldier Performance: What every military leader should

know to optimize physical fitness, self-efficacy, and military retention.

!Ann H. Huffman, Satoris S. Culbertson, & Carl A. Castro (2008) conducted a study that examined the impact of the perceptions of 230 U.S. Army soldiers as it relates to the military’s attempt to promote a family-friendly environment. They reviewed how soldier’s perceptions relate to physical fitness, self-efficacy, and their intent to remain in the military. Efforts have been made by the military to promote a family-friendly culture that provides soldiers with the support and flexibility they need to successfully sustain the balance between work and family. The question posed by

the study is, “To what extent are these family-friendly policies successful at buffering the negative effects of the work-life conflict?” Family-friendly policies theoretically are thought to increase productivity, job satisfaction, and overall commitment to the organization. The outcomes of family-friendly policies that should help to prevent work-life conflict can differ across the military spectrum. These differences in the implementation of of these policies creates variations that can impact important factors that are important to the military system. "

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Huffman et al. (2008) noted how the perceptions of military-family-friendly policies can vary due to the differences in how these policies are implemented across units by unit leaders. Soldiers from various levels and divisions of the military organization can have positive or negative perceptions of the military

as a whole based on their experience of receiving “family-friendly support”. Family-Friendly Support includes on-site educational classes, support groups for family members, on-site day

care centers, youth services, and family-friendly leave policies. Huffman et al. (2008) proposed that soldiers perceptions of their unit supporting a family-friendly environment may ensure their ability to behave in ways that would benefit the military and themselves. These perceptions would impact “…physical training scores, efficacy beliefs, and intentions to remain in the military.”"

Since physical fitness directly impacts a soldier’s combat readiness (Army Field Manual 21-20), it is a mission essential factor of consideration in the outcome of the Army organization. The life of a soldier incorporates physical fitness through training, testing, and evaluations to ensure that they are mission ready. Results from Huffman et al. (2008) indicated that soldier’s perceptions of the unit family-friendly policies were positively related to individual physical training scores. Soldiers who experienced work-life conflict and had an increase in their perception of their units family-friendly policies, their physical fitness performance also increased."

Efficacy beliefs are also thought to be correlated with the soldier’s perception of their unit providing a family-friendly environment. Self-efficacy involves the individuals perception of their ability to accomplish or implement those behaviors that are necessary to perform specific tasks. Collective self-efficacy involves the perception of a group or organization having the ability to successfully accomplish a goal or task. Both are essential to the military organization because the individuals perception of their likelihood for success in their unit or the military organization could impact their ability to participate in the successful accomplishment of a mission. Huffman et al. (2008) reported that their results suggest that individuals, who were allowed to perform necessary behaviors related to

handling their work-life conflict, had more confidence in their ability to successfully accomplish goals related to their role in their unit’s future group performance."

Positive or negative perceptions of a unit or military organization family-friendly policies were found to have a relationship in the soldier’s intent to remain in the military. Civilian organizational researchers found that individuals are less likely to have a desire to leave an organization that they perceive to be fair and flexible when they need to manage their work-life conflict. Huffman et al. (2008) found that those soldiers who experienced a significant amount of conflict in managing work and their personal lives and had a negative perception of their unit’s family-friendly policies, were likely not to remain in the military.

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The concluding overall implications of the research findings demonstrated that although there are a number of military sanctioned programs promoting family-friendly policies, they are not sufficient in promoting a family-friendly environment in the military community. Huffman et al. (2008) noted that senior leadership responsibly established policies that encourages family-friendly programs, however, local leadership must “…foster and support the policy to create a family-friendly culture.” These researchers conclude that their results further support evidence that has been established in the civilian environment. Organizational leaders benefit when they work with their employees to decrease the amount of conflict experienced between work and their personal lives. "

Commentary"“I am a military spouse and I support my husband in accomplishing mission directives, but I sometimes feel that the military doesn’t support our family and our ability to accomplish our own family missions.” - S. B., Texas"

“ The military environment has been good for our family because it provides the structure and support that we need as we support a cause that we believe in.” - A.R, New York"

“No organization is perfect. We have to be balanced in the way we look at the military and know that there is good and bad in everything. We gain nothing by being problem-oriented, focusing on the negative. We gain so much more when we are solution-oriented; focusing on ways to promote positive change from within the organization.” - D.B., Maryland"

“I am happy to know that researchers are seeking ways to improve the quality of life for military families by discussing the important issues that impacts the soldier, the military spouse, and our children. It is a relief to know that I am not alone in the way I feel as a spouse and that researchers are providing information that will help leaders to understand the importance of promoting family-friendly environments. What’s the sense of my husband’s commander saying he promotes family-friendly policies when my husband’s sergeant fails to follow this example? - R. R., Puerto Rico"

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If you would like more information on the research presented or if you would like to provide commentary on the topics discussed, please submit your requests to:"

info@ars-mhrcs.com "

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References: Devoe, E.R. & Ross, A.R. (2012). The parenting cycle of deployment. Military "" Medicine, 177(2), 184-190 !Huffman, A.H., Culbertson, S.S., & Castro, C.A.(2008). Family-friendly environments and U.S. army soldier performance and work outcomes. Military Psychology, 20, 253-270. DOI: 10.1080/8995600802345162 !Lagrone, D.M. (1978). The military family syndrome. American Journal of Psychiatry, 135(9), 1040-1043. !Lester, P., Peterson, K., Reeves, J., Knauss, L., Glover, D., Mogil, C., et al. (2010). The long war and parental combat deployment: Effects on military children and at-home spouses. !Palmer, C. (2008). A theory of risk and resilience factors in military families. Military psychology, 20, 205-217. DOI: 10. 1080/08995600802118858

Summer 2014

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