Supporting the Constitutional and Human Rights of America's Bereaved Military Families

The National Military Family Bereavement Study is the first large scientific study 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. 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 family member is a life-changing event for the entire family. Although bereavement eventually occurs in every family, not all bereaved persons grieve in the same way.

 

Surviving members of military families may offer a unique perspective to understanding grief. 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. However, families impacted by a U.S. military death may also possess unique protective factors that affect their bereavement process and experience of loss.

 

SOURCE: http://www.militarysurvivorstudy.org/military-bereavement.php