Unsung Heroes: Developing a Better Understanding of the Emotional Support Needs of Service Families

Summary: As the UK Armed Forces undergo unprecedented restructuring to deliver a new employment model, this report draws together what we know about how the families and children of Service personnel are supported to deal with the emotional and psychological impact of deployment and training. It examines the services already in place for families and identifies areas where more evidence, about both the need for services to support families and the effectiveness of these services, is necessary. This report looks at the practical initiatives to support service families in housing, health care and education and calls for more research to be conducted around the impact of mental health problems on families and the effectiveness of existing family support, the impact on Service families of alcohol misuse and domestic violence and makes recmmendations.