Lived Experiences of Military Personnel Reintegrating with their Preschool Aged Children

285 Pages·2015·3.94 MB·English

Walden University
ScholarWorks
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Collection
2015
Lived Experiences of Military Personnel
Reintegrating with their Preschool Aged Children
Rob Atchison
Walden University
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Walden University

College of Counselor Education & Supervision

This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by

Rob Atchison

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,
and that any and all revisions required by
the review committee have been made.

Review Committee
Dr. Melinda Haley, Committee Chairperson, Counselor Education and Supervision Faculty
Dr. Katherine Coule, Committee Member, Counselor Education and Supervision Faculty
Dr. Kelly Coker, University Reviewer, Counselor Education and Supervision Faculty

Chief Academic Officer
Eric Riedel, Ph.D.

Walden University
2015
Abstract
Lived Experiences of Military Personnel Reintegrating with their Preschool Aged Children
by
Robert A. Atchison

MA Indiana Wesleyan University, 2009
BS, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2007

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Counselor Education and Supervision

Walden University
August 2015
Abstract
Researchers have indicated that school-aged children with a caregiver who had been deployed
were more likely to exhibit emotional and behavioral problems. These problems were impacted
by the ability of the parent at home to manage emotions so as to utilize appropriate parenting
skills with the child. However, there remained an important gap in the literature regarding the
experiences of the military personnel reintegrating with their preschool aged child. Therefore,
the purpose of this phenomenological study was to address the experiences of military caregivers
with their preschool-aged children through semistructured interviews to better understand the
variables that impacted the ability to reattach with the child. The main research question for this
study examined reattachment experiences of 11 military parents with their preschool-aged child
during reintegration through the theoretical lens of attachment theory because previous
attachment literature showed the importance of attachment development during the preschool-
aged years. Data from the 11 interviews were analyzed to identify relevant themes that told the
story of the experiences of those military personnel, which were then broken into the significant
structural and textural descriptions to form the essence of each participant’s experience. Data
were member checked and triangulated using peer reviewers. Findings from this research helped
clarify the positive or negative behaviors of the military parent and contextual factors that
impacted the child’s ability to reattach with that caregiver. The results also enhanced social
change initiatives through increasing awareness and understanding, among all entities that work
with the military, of the importance of attachment so as to promote programs that address ways
to help those families stay connected during all phases of deployment.
Lived Experiences of Military Personnel Reintegrating with their Preschool Aged Children
by
Robert A. Atchison

MA, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2009
BS, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2007

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Counselor Education and Supervision

Walden University
August 2015
Dedication
I want to dedicate this dissertation to the men and women in the military who sacrifice so
much on a daily basis serving across the world to keep this great country safe. I don’t pretend to
understand the many challenges that soldiers manage at home and when deployed, individually
or amongst their families. However, I hope my work sheds light on some of their experiences
and increases opportunities for soldiers and their families to access relevant programs to help
them be successful.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, who has made all things possible even when I
doubted myself and I always know is right there encouraging me to finish the race. Also, many
thanks and much love to my wife, who has always stood in my corner, and loved and supported
me even when it meant sacrificing time with the family while putting more responsibility on her
in the home. I would also like to thank my parents, who sacrificed to put me through college and
have modeled the importance of education by going back to get degrees and switching careers.
Others I would like to thank include my committee, who always gave constructive feedback and
encouraged me throughout the whole process, my professors and teachers, who gave me the
knowledge and modeled for me the critical role of being a gatekeeper for the counseling
profession, and my friends, who encouraged me, but probably prolonged this process throughout
my schooling by diverting attention away from education to other fun things.
Table of Contents
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... vi
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ................................................................................... 1
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
Background .......................................................................................................................... 2
Problem Statement ............................................................................................................... 4
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................ 5
Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 6
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework for the Study ........................................................ 6
Nature of the Study .............................................................................................................. 8
Definitions ........................................................................................................................... 9
Assumptions ...................................................................................................................... 12
Scope and Delimitations .................................................................................................... 13
Significance ....................................................................................................................... 16
Summary ............................................................................................................................ 17
Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 20
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 20
Literature Search Strategy ................................................................................................. 21
Theoretical Foundation ...................................................................................................... 22
Literature Review .............................................................................................................. 33
Military Culture and Mental Health Stigma .......................................................... 34
Military Deployment Stages and Stressors Associated with each Stage ............... 38
i
Child Development ................................................................................................ 40
Reaction to Deployment and Reintegration .......................................................... 47
Support Factors ...................................................................................................... 62
Studies Related to Research Questions ................................................................. 70
Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................................ 74
Chapter 3: Research Method ............................................................................................. 77
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 77
Research Design and Rationale ......................................................................................... 78
Role of the Researcher ....................................................................................................... 80
Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 82
Participation Selection Logic ................................................................................ 82
Instrumentation ...................................................................................................... 84
Procedures for Pilot Studies .................................................................................. 86
Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection ........................... 87
Data Analysis Plan ................................................................................................ 88
Issues of Trustworthiness .................................................................................................. 90
Ethical Procedures ................................................................................................. 93
Summary ............................................................................................................................ 97
Chapter 4: Results .............................................................................................................. 99
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 99
Pilot Study ....................................................................................................................... 100
Setting ............................................................................................................................. 101
ii
Demographics .................................................................................................................. 101
Data Collection ................................................................................................................ 104
Data Analysis ................................................................................................................... 106
Step 1: Create a Description of My Experience of the Phenomenon .................. 106
Step 2: Identify Significant Statements ............................................................... 107
Step 3: Group Significant Statements into Themes ............................................. 107
Step 4: Create a Textural Description of the Experience .................................... 107
Step 5: Create a Structural Description of the Experience .................................. 108
Step 6: Integrate the Essence of the Experience .................................................. 108
Evidence of Trustworthiness ........................................................................................... 120
Results ............................................................................................................................ 121
Routine Creation .................................................................................................. 122
Caregiver Discussions with the Kids about Impending Deployment .................. 124
Planning for Basic Needs while Deployed .......................................................... 130
Caregiver Role with the Children ........................................................................ 133
Coping in Preparation for Deployment: Distancing Behaviors and Quantity .... 135
Rituals within the Family System ........................................................................ 137
Ways Families Communicated Via Distance ...................................................... 139
Emotions over Missing Child Milestones ........................................................... 141
Role Changes in the Parental Subsystem ............................................................ 144
Compartmentalizing the Mission while Being Away from the Family .............. 147
Behavioral Changes in the Participants' Children ............................................... 163
iii