A new study looked at more than 1,000 adolescents ages 11 to 18 who had at least one active-duty military parent. Researchers asked young people to name supportive relationships and to rate their school engagement, confidence and any feelings of depression or anxiety. Adolescence can be hard for military youth because of parent deployments, frequent moves and other disruptions.
The study found that supportive relationships from parents and peers help military youth keep better mental health. These relationships are linked to adaptive coping skills, such as problem-solving and self-reliance. Youth with stronger coping skills were more engaged at school, had more confidence, and showed fewer signs of depression. Researchers recommend encouraging extracurricular activities on and off bases and parents spending time in the local community to build support networks.
Difficult words
- adolescent — young person between child and adultadolescents
- active-duty — serving now in the regular armed forces
- deployment — period when a military member works away from homedeployments
- supportive — giving help and encouragement to someone
- engagement — how involved someone is in an activity
- cope — manage problems or difficult feelingscoping
- extracurricular — activities done outside regular school lessons
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Who gives supportive relationships to military youth in the study?
- Have you ever joined an extracurricular activity? How did it help you?
- What can parents do in the local community to build support networks?
