High rates of PTSD, depression, and alcohol use have been found among soldiers serving in and returning from the Iraq War. However, less attention has been placed on the stress experienced by the children of Iraq War service men and women. One study found that children with family members serving in Iraq had higher heart-rate levels (a sign that they may have been under high levels of stress) and symptoms of PTSD as compared to adolescents with civilian parents and adolescents with parents in the military who were not deployed. You can read more about this study here.

In addition, the American Psychological Association recently posted an article from the Tacoma, Washington News Tribune where military children describe the struggles they face in having a parent serve in the Iraq War. The article also describes what is being done to help these children cope with the stress of having a deployed parent. You can access this interesting article here.