Chapter 29: Military Families

Question 1

Approximately two million American children have experienced the deployment of a parent to Iraq or Afghanistan. How many of these children either lost a parent or have a parent who was wounded in these conflicts?

1. 48,000
2. 26,000
3. 11,000
4. 8,000

Answer 1

ANS: 1
Rationale: More than 48,000 children have either lost a parent or have a parent who was wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Question 2

Research has shown that an adolescent (13 to18 years) would typically exhibit which behavior as a reaction to parental military deployment?

1. May exhibit regressive behaviors and assume blame for parent’s departure.
2. May become sullen, tearful, throw temper tantrums, or develop sleep problems.
3. May participate in high-risk behaviors, sexual acting out, and drug or alcohol abuse.
4. May respond to schedule disruptions with irritability and/or apathy and weight loss.

Answer 2

ANS: 3
Rationale: Infants (birth to 12 months) may respond to schedule disruptions with irritability and/or apathy and weight loss. Toddlers (1 to 3 years) may become sullen, tearful, throw temper tantrums, or develop sleep problems. Preschoolers (3 to 6 years) may regress in areas such as toilet training, sleep, separation fears, physical complaints, or thumb sucking and may assume blame for parent’s departure. School age children (6 to 12 years) are more aware of potential dangers to parent. May exhibit irritable behavior, aggression, or whininess. May become more regressed and fearful about parent’s safety.
Adolescents (13 to 18 years) may be rebellious, irritable, or more challenging of authority. Parents need to be alert to high-risk behaviors, such as problems with the law, sexual acting out, and drug or alcohol abuse.

Question 3

What is the expected feeling and/or behavior experienced by military families during the “sustainment” cycle of deployment, as described by Pincus and associates?

1. Feelings alternate between denial and anticipation of loss.
2. Feelings alternate between excitement and apprehension associated with homecoming.
3. Feelings focus on the establishment of new support systems and new family routines.
4. Feelings focus on the struggle to take charge of the details of the new family structure.

Answer 3

ANS: 3
Rationale: In the pre-deployment cycle, feelings alternate between denial and anticipation of loss. In the redeployment cycle, feelings alternate between excitement and apprehension associated with homecoming. In the sustainment cycle, families establish new support systems and new family routines. In the deployment cycle, the spouse struggles to take charge of the details of living without his or her partner.

Question 4

A nursing instructor is teaching about suicide among active duty military. Which fact should the instructor include in the lesson plan?

1. On average, two suicides a day occur in the U.S. military.
2. From 2005 to 2009, relationship distress factored in more than 25% of Army suicides.
3. Statistically, in 2012, suicide rates of service members surpassed the number killed in combat.
4. Military suicides are associated with a narcissistic personality disorder diagnosis.

Answer 4

ANS: 3
Rationale: On average, one not two suicides a day occur in the U.S. military. From 2005 to 2009, relationship distress factored in more than 50% not 25% of Army suicides. Military suicides are associated with the diagnoses of substance use disorder, major depressive disorder, PTSD, and TBI, not narcissistic personality disorder. Statistically, in 2012, suicide rates of service members surpassed the number killed in combat.

Question 5

A nursing instructor is preparing a lesson plan related to the history of the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Which of the following facts would be appropriate to include? (Select all that apply.)

1. Between 1950 and 1970, little was written about PTSD.
2. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a major increase in research on PTSD.
3. During the 1970s and 1980s, much research was related to World War II veterans.
4. PTSD did not appear until the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III).
5. PTSD did not appear until the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

Answer 5

ANS: 1, 2, 4
Rationale: Very little was written about PTSD during the years between 1950 and 1970. This absence was followed in the 1970s and 1980s with an explosion in the amount of research and writing on the subject. During this time, much research was related to Vietnam not World War II veterans. PTSD did not appear until the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III).

Question 6

Which of the following should a nurse identify as stressors in the lives of military spouses and children? (Select all that apply.)

1. Frequent moves
2. School credit transfer issues
3. Complications of spousal employment
4. Spousal loneliness
5. Loss of military privileges during spousal deployment

Answer 6

ANS: 1, 2, 3, 4
Rationale: The lives of military spouses and children are clearly affected when the service-member’s active duty assignments require frequent family moves. These include, among others, school credit transfer issues, complications of spousal employment, and spousal loneliness. Military privileges are not lost during spousal deployment.

Question 7

Owing to the unique challenges experienced by children of active duty military, which of the following fears would a nurse most likely identify? (Select all that apply.)

1. Fear of not being accepted in new schools
2. Fear of being behind academically
3. Fear of not making friends in new schools
4. Fear of losing athletic standing
5. Fear of discrimination from new school faculty

Answer 7

ANS: 1, 2, 3, 4
Rationale: Military children face unique challenges. They fear not being accepted, being behind academically, not making friends, and losing athletic standing as they move from one school to another. Fear of discrimination from new school faculty has not been shown as a realistic fear in this population.

Question 8

After reporting a sexual assault, a female soldier is diagnosed with a personality disorder. Which of the following consequences may result? (Select all that apply.)

1. Court-martial proceedings
2. Loss of health-care benefits
3. Loss of service-related disability compensation
4. Stigma of a psychiatric diagnosis
5. Service discharge

Answer 8

ANS: 2, 3, 4, 5
Rationale: Some military women who report their sexual assaults are discharged with a psychiatric diagnosis of personality disorder or adjustment disorder. Some of the consequences of this diagnosis are loss of health-care benefits, loss of service-related disability compensation, and the stigma of a psychiatric diagnosis. The report of a sexual assault would not lead to courtmartial proceedings for the victim.