The National Military Family Bereavement Study is the first scientific study (Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program) of the impact of a U.S. service member death on surviving family members. The research is being conducted by Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) in Bethesda, Maryland and is a five-year study. The multi-disciplinary research team is led by Stephen J. Cozza, M.D., Associate Director of CSTS/Director of the Child and Family Program.
The death of a U.S. military service member is a life-changing event for the entire family. From the initial distress of notification to longer-term challenges family members face difficult emotional and practical issues possibly related to distinctive characteristics of military death. A recent count of U.S. military active duty status deaths totals over 16,000 since September 11, 2001. Over a third of the deaths are attributable to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Conservative estimates tell us that 6–10 individuals are impacted for each service member who dies, thus affecting approximately 160,000 family members or more.
While certain similarities between civilian and military bereavement exist, families impacted by a U.S. military death may possess unique risk and protective factors that affect their bereavement process and experience of loss. The study of bereavement in the civilian population is extensive; however there is a lack of substantive empirical research on the impact of the death of a family member serving in the U.S. military. The need to study individual and family bereavement when a U.S. military service member dies is critical to understanding the grief and loss experiences of this unique survivor population. This study’s findings will help to provide a scientific basis to inform policies effecting survivor care.
This study will seek to study the impact of a service member death on his or her family of origin and their family of procreation. Given the unique nature of military family life, the study will investigate the impact of community support and services on the bereaved and how available resources impact resilience or vulnerability in surviving families. Finally, this study will build on the growing evidence addressing the intersection of grief and trauma and how its affects a military family member's bereavement process, needs for support and assistance.
Who can participate in this study?
Those eligible to participate will include: parents/step-parents/adoptive & custodial parents/in-loco parentis; siblings/step-siblings; spouses/ex-spouses; children/step-children (including adult children over the age of 18) whose related service member has died by all circumstances of death (such as KIA, accident, illness, homicide, suicide) on active duty status in the U.S. Military (Army, Navy, Air Force & Marines — active, guard & reserve) on or after September 11, 2001.
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivor (TAPS), Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., National Military Families Association (NMFA), Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), Snowball Express, and Army Survivor Outreach Services (S.O.S) are collaborating on this landmark, national research study as principal community partners.
For updates about this study, please continue to check the website as our research progresses.
For more information, email info@militarysurvivorstudy.org or visit this website regularly for new information.
© Copyright 2011. Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University