Youth from military families can face several hardships, but new research from UGA suggests that there are ways to support them.
A recent study from the University of Georgia has found that adolescents from military families need support from both parents and peers in order to have good mental health. Military youth can struggle because of the ever present potential of having a caregiver deployed overseas or constantly moving to new places.
Young people from military families use the relationships around them to develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills. According to the study, repeated exposure to role models and peers who demonstrated positive ways to cope with stress and emotions helped military youth do the same.
Researchers encourage these adolescents to join extracurricular activities both on and off military bases. They also suggest that parents meet their kids where they are at and not try to force them to be social.
