A symposium has presentations and discussion by 3-4 experts on a particular topic. A discussant integrates and summarizes the papers, develops implications for policy and practice from the research, and facilitates audience discussion.

Papers listed below are included in this session.

Discussant: Mallory Lucier-Greer
Co-Chairs: Christina M. Marini, Christine E. McCall

Summary
This symposium will bring together a series of theoretically-grounded talks focused primarily on military families to highlight how such findings can continue to enrich–and advance–our understanding of how families cope with stress and transition in military and non-military contexts. The studies included in this symposium are guided by a diverse array of theories (e.g., Religious Coping Theory, Anticipatory Stress) and utilize a variety of methodologies (e.g., latent-profile analysis, mixed-methods analysis). Findings shed light on key areas that researchers and practitioners can focus on when trying to support families coping with stress and transition, including their religiosity/spirituality, role identities, preparation for anticipated stressors, and active engagement in intimate relationships.

Objectives

• To identify different processes of risk and resilience among military families.
• To highlight the ways in which research on military families may be used to advance research and theory focused on families coping with stress and change more broadly.
• To demonstrate applied implications of this research for practice.

Subject Codes: family relations, resilience, context
Population Codes: military family
Method and Approach Codes: mixed-methodology, quantitative methodology