During recent conflicts in the Middle East, U.S. military families have endured multiple separati... more During recent conflicts in the Middle East, U.S. military families have endured multiple separations, relocations, and alterations in family structure/routines, combined with other significant stressors. This review examines what is known about children's mental health and functioning in relation to parental military deployment during conflicts spanning the last 14years. Findings are organized and considered by age group (i.e., toddlers and preschoolers, school age children, and adolescents) in an effort to highlight unique challenges and strengths present at different stages of development. Across all age groups, numerous studies document an increase in the number of military-connected children receiving mental health services in relation to parental deployment, though specific types of problems and long-term outcomes are not well understood. Evidence for a concerning increase in rates of child maltreatment related to parental deployment has also emerged. However, findings are largely based on aggregate data and the specific perpetrator is often unclear. Overall, we emphasize several critical next steps for research in this area including investigations characterized by greater methodological rigor, consideration of broader parental and contextual influences on child mental health, objective indicators of stress and coping, and longitudinal designs to examine persistence of child emotional/behavioral problems. A focus on adaptive/resilient outcomes is equally essential for understanding long-term outcomes and developing effective intervention programs.
This study examined the relationship between psychological distress, subjective sleep disturbance... more This study examined the relationship between psychological distress, subjective sleep disturbance and immune status among HIV-positive men and women. Fifty-seven participants (41 men, 16 women) without AIDS-related illness and currently on combination antiretroviral therapy were recruited through community advertisement and physician referral. Participants completed the Impact of Events Scale (IES) to assess symptoms of psychological distress and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess quality of sleep over the past month. T-lymphocyte subpopulations were also assessed from early morning blood samples. Participants reporting greater psychological distress also reported more pronounced sleep disruption. Higher levels of distress and greater sleep disturbance were also significantly related to lower T-cytotoxic/suppressor (CD3+CD8+) cell counts. Path analysis revealed that the association between distress level and CD3+CD8+ cell counts was mediated by poorer subjective sleep quality. These findings suggest that psychological distress may impact upon the immune system through its effects on sleep quality.
During recent conflicts in the Middle East, U.S. military families have endured multiple separati... more During recent conflicts in the Middle East, U.S. military families have endured multiple separations, relocations, and alterations in family structure/routines, combined with other significant stressors. This review examines what is known about children's mental health and functioning in relation to parental military deployment during conflicts spanning the last 14years. Findings are organized and considered by age group (i.e., toddlers and preschoolers, school age children, and adolescents) in an effort to highlight unique challenges and strengths present at different stages of development. Across all age groups, numerous studies document an increase in the number of military-connected children receiving mental health services in relation to parental deployment, though specific types of problems and long-term outcomes are not well understood. Evidence for a concerning increase in rates of child maltreatment related to parental deployment has also emerged. However, findings are largely based on aggregate data and the specific perpetrator is often unclear. Overall, we emphasize several critical next steps for research in this area including investigations characterized by greater methodological rigor, consideration of broader parental and contextual influences on child mental health, objective indicators of stress and coping, and longitudinal designs to examine persistence of child emotional/behavioral problems. A focus on adaptive/resilient outcomes is equally essential for understanding long-term outcomes and developing effective intervention programs.
This study examined the relationship between psychological distress, subjective sleep disturbance... more This study examined the relationship between psychological distress, subjective sleep disturbance and immune status among HIV-positive men and women. Fifty-seven participants (41 men, 16 women) without AIDS-related illness and currently on combination antiretroviral therapy were recruited through community advertisement and physician referral. Participants completed the Impact of Events Scale (IES) to assess symptoms of psychological distress and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess quality of sleep over the past month. T-lymphocyte subpopulations were also assessed from early morning blood samples. Participants reporting greater psychological distress also reported more pronounced sleep disruption. Higher levels of distress and greater sleep disturbance were also significantly related to lower T-cytotoxic/suppressor (CD3+CD8+) cell counts. Path analysis revealed that the association between distress level and CD3+CD8+ cell counts was mediated by poorer subjective sleep quality. These findings suggest that psychological distress may impact upon the immune system through its effects on sleep quality.
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