Rethinking the military family syndrome

The author presents prospective data on 140 child and adolescent military dependents and 234 nonmilitary subjects to assess the validity of the "military family syndrome." The only significant diagnostic difference was that military dependents had a lesser prevalence of schizophrenia and schizophreniform psychosis; the few environmental differences did not consistently favor either group. The author concludes that if the military family syndrome exists at all, its effects are more subtle and its causes are less obvious than has been previously stated.