Fathers at Sea. Characteristics of Navy Families Vulnerable to the Stresses of Separation,

The paper forcuses on some initial findings related to the predeployment experiences of 82 officer and enlisted families whose military members were assigned to squadrons designated for an 8-month deployment aborad a Navy carrier scheduled for departure to the Western Pacific. An attempt was made to identify the best combination of factors which may be used to explain family vulnerability to stress during separation. Five sets of data were considered in the development of the regression equation 1 background characteristics of the husband and wife 2 wife adjustment factors 2 husband adjustment factors 4 family and marital adjustment factors and 5 family environmental factors. The criterion, family life stress preceived by the husband aboard ship, was designed to measure the degree of family stresses the serviceman carried with him in the initial stages of the deployment. Linear multiple regression procedures indicated that the three variables of husbands age, husbands assessment of the family stresses before deployment, and the wifes predeployment assessment of family strengths yielded a multiple correlation of .62 and accounted for 38 percent of the variance. Data indicate the value of predeployment programs for families in promoting family preparation for separation, in orienting them to services, decreasing their apprehensions about such programs, and increasing the probability families would seek assistance if needed. Author