A new study published in the journal Pediatrics reveals that small children with parents in the military are 10 percent more likely to show more instances of mental stress and behavioral problem when their parents are deployed to military duty. This has come to light when researchers studied the families‘use of health insurance during wartime.

During the absence of a parent the children are more likely to show instances of anxiety and acting out in school rather than any real physical health issues. The research led by Dr. Gregory H. Gorman of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences analyzed the health records of 642,397 children ages 3 to 8 with parents in the military.

The team found that when a parent was deployed for duty visit rate for physical problem dropped by 11 percent while it rose by 11 percent for psychological complaints. Some of the common problems included stress, anxiety and attention-deficit problems. It also showed that mothers were more tuned in to the mood changes and took the children to the doctor as compared to fathers.

The rate of problem was noticeable most amongst children in the age group of 7- and 8-year-olds in two-parent families. The researchers say that this is because the present parent might be more attuned to the change, while children with single parent are often left to caregivers who may not pay so much attention.

Despite this issue and strain of absence due to duty, the research showed that military marriages tend to be relatively stable.