Financial stability, frequent relocation, and isolation emerged as top military family stressors, according to new survey results, released this week.
The survey, conducted by Blue Star Families, included responses from more than 11,000 service members, military spouses, and veterans. CVN Vice President for Community Partnerships, Dr. Caitlin Thompson, moderated one of the panel discussions at the survey release on February 26.
As a military spouse, I am not surprised by the results, rather I’m reminded how important surveys like these are in helping others understand the stressors we face.
These findings can quantify our challenges, help educate military leadership, drive policy changes, and refine programs to meet the real needs of our military community.
At Cohen Veterans Network, we’re already actively working to address many of the top stressors highlighted in the Military Family Lifestyle Survey:
Source: Blue Star Families 2019 Military Family Lifestyle Survey
We are aware that financial issues are the number one concern for military families, and that’s why all our clinics are offering high-quality care with low barriers to care, and many clinics even consider childcare and transportation.
We understand that military relocations are stressful, so we’re growing a network of mental health clinics in high-need communities, helping improve access to care via telehealth, and providing families with other local resources for employment, housing and legal issues.
We know military families often feel isolated from family and friends, and we’ve designed our clinics to be community hubs! At many Cohen Clinics you’ll find free yoga events, social activities, workshops, or movie nights. Our clinics are helping families find support networks and connect with peers!
Still, while we’re making significant strides to address these top concerns, we know we cannot do it alone.
By Nicole Meek
CVN Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Note: This is a part one in a two-part series. Please join us next week for Part Two!