A 2011 Rand study, Views from the Homefront, found that the emotional well-being of non-deployed parents has more significant impact on children’s social, emotional and academic success than any other factor. Families exhibiting higher degrees of empathy and stronger communication skills reported the fewest challenges.

Comparison Rates of Emotional Difficulties in Military and Non-military Children

In Views from the Home Front, a 2009 a longitudinal study of 1500 military kids experienced with deployment, caregivers reported higher levels of emotional difficulties than were found in a national peer group sample. Thirty percent of these children reported symptoms of elevated anxiety, twice the rate of other children. Rates of academic engagement, peer and family functioning, and risk behaviors were similar to youth in the general population.

(Rand Center for Military Health Policy Research)