Concerns about career stigma by military parents of children with psychiatric illness

Abstract

Stigma is known to have deleterious effects on individuals with psychiatric disorders as well as their family members. In this study, we examined stigma with regard to career concerns among active duty members of the Air Force with children who have psychiatric disorders. Albeit a weak relationship, a bivariate correlation confirmed a significant relationship between the child's mental health utilization (i.e., severity of illness) and participants concerns about the potential effects on their military (r = 0.423, p < 0.01), as well as civilian (r = 0.353, p < 0.01), careers. These findings indicate that among military members with children who have psychiatric disorders, illness severity significantly relates to concerns about the impact of stigma on careers, particularly military careers. Copyright © by Association of Military Surgeons of U.S., 2008.