6. Children of Service Families & Mental
Health
• Mansfield et al 2011 - 16.7% of Children from Military Families are
diagnosed with at least one mental health issue during the
deployment of a parent into a combat zone.
• White et al 2011 – Research indicates that children of deployed
parents are at higher risk of psychosocial problems than their
civilian counterparts, which may reflect the multiple stressors that
military children face…some children with a deployed parent
experience moderate to severe emotional and behavioural
problems.
7. Mobility Study
Geographic mobility and children's emotional/behavioural
adjustment and school functioning.
Simpson, G.A. Fowler, M.G. 1994.
Sample Size: 10,362 US School Age Children (Civilian)
Measurements: The 1988 National Health Interview Survey of Child Health
includes data on health and demographic characteristics,
emotional/behavioural variables, school functioning, and geographic
mobility. This study examined the relationship of children's geographic
mobility to children's reported emotional problems, use of psychological
help, scores on a Behaviour Problem Index, repeating a grade in school,
and being suspended or expelled from school.
8. Mobility Study
Findings:
● 24% of children have never moved, 35% of children have moved once or
twice, and 39% of children aged 6 to 17 years have moved three or more
times in their lifetime….
● Children who moved three or more times were 2.3 times more likely to have
received psychological help, 1.7 times more likely to have repeated a grade,
and 1.9 times more likely to have been suspended or expelled from school
compared with children who had never moved.
● Children who moved three or more times were 1.6 times more likely to be in
the top tenth percentile of scores on the Behaviour Problem Index
compared with children who had never moved.
9. Mobility Study
Conclusion:
Children who move three or more times are at increased
risk for emotional/behavioural and school problems.
Thus, paediatricians, other health professionals, and
educators should be alert to the potential educational
and psychological problems among children from highly
mobile families.
10. Mobility of Service Children
Ofsted (2011) Children in Service Families: The Quality
& Impact of Partnership Provision in Service Families
● 12% of service children were mobile during years 7-9 compared
with 5% of non-service children
● 6% of service children were mobile during years 10-11
compared with 2% of non-service children
● By the time they reach secondary education, some service
children may have moved 13-14 times
11. Mobility of Service Children
House of Commons Defence Committee:
“Moving schools is stressful for all children &
frequent moves can have a significant
detrimental impact on young people.”
12. The Mental Health Continuum
Emotional Distress Solution Emotional Stuckness Mental Health Problem Mental Illness
13. Causes of Emotional Distress
● Impact on friendships – High Mobility decreases the importance
on laying down roots. Why invest in friendships that will not last?
● Increase risk of Isolation – Although academic achievement may
not suffer, the more removed from their peers an individual becomes, the
greater the risk of suffering from mental health problems.
● Adjusting to new surroundings – Children may need time to
adjust to unfamiliar surroundings and have fears of getting lost. This may
also include learning new routines/ rules and expectations.
● Differences in curriculum – Having to redo aspects of the
curriculum they have already completed/ or having to join in midway through
and feeling left behind can lead to greater anxiety or becoming disengaged
from Education.
14. What can we do?
Self Esteem & Resilience are key factors.
Generally children & young people with
higher self esteem are more resilient to
change.
Resilient children and young people will
find ways to solve problems and/ or ask
for help
15. What can we do?
Children and young people who lack resilience
and have low self esteem will often:
• Withdraw from a situation and become invisible (flight)
• Rebel against it and act out in order to survive and get
noticed (fight)
Both of these solutions can become ‘Stuck’ and
can lead to other problems.
16. What can we do?
Preparing for change and
Overcoming Anxiety
Help un-stick stuck solutions!
17. What can we do?
• Help to normalise Anxiety/ Worry around change –
Physical/ Thoughts/ Behaviour
● Provide reassurance at a very early stage
● Plan for transition
● Promote positive emotional health – Explore worries
● Assist in early detection and intervention – See
behaviour as communication
● Create a partnership with the young person to find
strategies “getting through this together”
18. Why focus on Anxiety?
● Anxiety is the most common mental health problem.
● Anxiety feeds into most other mental health conditions.
● Anxiety is also a normal state of flux in the human experience.
● Anxiety Disorders are one of the most treatable with intervention
● For Children & Young People of Service Families there may be an
increased prevalence of Anxiety surrounding Mobility, Pre-Deployment,
Deployment & Re-Deployment
19. What can we do?
S.E.A.L.
Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning
Strategies around Transition
● Capable
● Listened to
● Accepted
● Safe
● Supported
● Included
● Challenged
20. What can we do?
● Young Minds in Schools – Identifying & Supporting Pupils at Risk
During Transfer & Transition – Roger Catchpole
Helping Children to COPE:
• Promote Connectedness – Friendships with peers.
Relationships with teachers, sense of belonging &
opportunities for participation
• Become a skilled Observer – Notice what is happening and
be aware of each child. Behaviour is Communication
• Develop Problem solving skills – Help children face and
overcome problems – DO NOT TEACH AVOIDANCE
• Model Emotional regulation –Acknowledge that it is normal
and OK to feel anxious, upset, angry etc, teach children that
our emotions don’t have to govern our behaviour, we have a
choice!
21. WELL-BEING
“Well-being and good mental health are
essential for each of us to reach our full
potential”
No health without mental health
(HM Government, 2010 p.16).