Project History

Over the past decade, our National Guard and Reserves have been increasingly called upon to protect America in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Military families are remarkably resilient, balancing family life, work, and military service. However, deployment can be a stressful experience for families of service members, particularly those in the National Guard and Reserves, who live in civilian communities, without the resources and support of the military base.

Previous research has shown that stress associated with combat deployment can manifest in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and substance use problems. Family stress can negatively affect parenting, and children are more vulnerable to behavior and emotional problems. However, programs to support parenting have been shown to be very effective at protecting families in times of stress. These programs can yield strong benefits for parents, children, and communities.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota are partnering with the Minnesota National Guard and Reserves in order to develop and test parenting resources for families with school-aged children who are dealing with the deployment process. The National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse is now funding this $3.2 million, 5-year study. Minnesota has been a National leader in creating and supporting programs for Reserve Component soldiers and their families. We intend to build upon this success by identifying evidence-based programming for families that builds resilience, is strengths-focused and can be sustained long after this study has been completed.