The Impact of Maternal and Paternal Deployment on Depressive Symptoms and Well-Being Among Military-Connected Youth

Abstract: Objective: This study examines how military parents' gender moderates the association between deployments and well-being and depression among military-connected youth. Methods: Secondary analyses were run on 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey data from 1,370 military-connected adolescents. Results: For depression, we found a significant interaction between deployments and parents' gender (β = .10, p = 0.0208). The relationship between deployment and depression is stronger for children of female service members. We also found a significant association between two or more deployments and well-being (β = 0.24, p = 0.0049). Discussion: Children of female service members may be at greater risk of psychosocial morbidity. Further, youth well-being may increase during/following deployments, perhaps suggesting resilience.