Parents’ Deployment May Increase Risk of Kids’ Substance Abuse

Researchers from the University of Iowa evaluated data from 2010, when 1.2 million American children had a parent in the active duty military.  Study results suggest parent’s deployment may increase risk of substance abuse in preteen and teens.

“We worry a lot about the service men and women and we sometimes forget that they are not the only ones put into harm’s way by deployment—their families are affected, too,” senior study author Stephan Arndt, PhD, said in a news release. “Our findings suggest we need to provide these families with more community support.”