The Defense Department launched a survey to assess the health and well-being of military-connected youth and their families.
The Study of Adolescent Resilience asks children ages 11-17 about their experiences with military life. The findings will inform policies, programs and services for military-connected adolescents and their families.
"Our military youth have unique voices rooted in their military life experiences. The SOAR survey provides an opportunity to put their voices into action and provide necessary feedback to address military-connected adolescent needs," said Patricia Montes Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy.
SOAR is embedded within the larger DOD Millennium Cohort Study of active-duty, reserve and National Guard service members and veterans, which began in 2001. The approximately 40,000 service members and veterans enrolled in MCS who have adolescent children will receive a packet in the mail inviting them, their child and the other parent, if applicable, to fill out individual online surveys.
The confidential online survey takes about 30 minutes to complete and focuses on how military experiences impact teens' psychosocial adjustment and physical health, academic achievement and educational and career aspirations. The study also gathers insights into parenting experiences and the relationship between military-connected adolescents and their parents.
Each participant who completes a survey will receive a $10 gift card to Amazon.com, up to $40 per family. Adolescents will also be able to download a certificate of participation that showcases their involvement in the study.
The Naval Health Research Center is conducting the SOAR with funding and support from the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy.
For more information about SOAR, visit https://millenniumcohort.org/soar.
About Military Community and Family Policy
MC&FP is directly responsible for establishing and overseeing quality-of-life policies and programs that help our service members, their families and survivors be well and mission-ready. Military OneSource is the gateway to programs and services that support the everyday needs of the 5.2 million service members and immediate family members of the military community. These DOD services can be accessed 24/7/365 around the world.