The University of Hawaii at Hilo is teaming up with the University of Central Florida and the University of Houston for a $2.7 million research project to determine the effects of deployment on military families.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo is teaming up with the University of Central Florida and the University of Houston for a $2.7 million research project to determine the effects of deployment on military families.
The ‘Ohana Heroes Project is being funded by the U.S. Defense Department.
“The ultimate goal of this project is to better understand the effects of military deployment on family functioning in order to develop and guide support programs for these families,” said Charmaine Higa-McMillan, an associate professor of psychology at UH-Hilo and principal researcher at the UH-Hilo site.
In addition to interviews and surveys, the research will build on past studies “by examining biological markers of stress, such as stress hormones and disrupted sleep patterns, as well as examining whether the non-deployed parent’s distress impacts the child’s psychosocial and academic functioning.”
Also unique to this study is the use of civilian families and non-deployed military families as control groups.
The ‘Ohana Heroes Project is looking for all types of families on the Big Island and Oahu with at least one child to participate in the research. Compensation for participation is $100 cash.
For more information, visit http://ohanaheroes.com/, email contact@ohanaheroes.com, or call (808) 933-3861.
See Saturday’s Tribune-Herald for more on this story.