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The emotional and psychological effects caused by war on veterans and their families, particularly children, cannot be ignored. There are about half a million veterans in Iran who face an imminent risk of psychological and social disturbances (Afrouz & Vysmeh, 2001). Studies show that the physical and psychological injuries of war experienced by soldiers can be passed to family members as separate psychological injuries to their family members. This phenomenon is described as secondary victimization (Figley, 1982; Silver & Rogers, 2002) and secondary traumatic stress (Figley & McCubbin, 1983; Figley, 1985, 1989). A recent review of the literature indicates several studies that document the effects of psychological harm to families of veterans, Galovski & Lyons, (2004) reveal that the majority of families experience disturbances in areas of mental health; including a decrease in happiness and life satisfaction. Fairbank and Fairbank (2005) also report that the families of war veterans are a high-risk population for emotional and psychological disturbances. Specific conditions are known to increase the risk of alienation, low self-esteem, frustration, feelings of guilt, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for the family (Silva, Alpert, Munoz, Singh, Matzner, & Dummit, 2000). However, further research is needed to determine the extent of these psychological harms (Bank & Bank, 2005). The systemic family functionality is often compromised by a single member's symptomatology of PTSD. Galovksi and Lyons (2004) review the impact of combat trauma and PTSD on the relationship of the couple, the parenting approach, and child development, and note that the literature consistently suggests that PTSD is a predictive element of distress for the family of a veteran. To assess family functioning among Vietnam veterans diagnosed with PTSD, Davidson and Mellor (2001) utilized the Family Assessment Device which predicts disturbances in problem solving, communication, affective responsiveness, affective involvement, and global functioning. Findings indicate that war veterans tend to use more unhealthy communication styles with their family, are less interested, less involved in their families' lives, and their children tend to report high levels of family dysfunction, especially in areas of effective responsiveness and problem solving. This suggests that symptoms of PTSD can create family dysfunction and interrupt the veteran's ability to parent (Davidson & Mellor, 2001). Additional research indicates that the presence of PTSD can affect parenting as well as child development (Galovski & Lyons, 2004). Rosenheck (as cited in Galovski & Lyons, 2004) found that the daily lives of a veteran's family tend to be centered on the veteran's irritability, aggressiveness, depression, and withdrawal. These symptoms contribute to a family atmosphere of fear, caution, and guilt (Galovski & Lyons, 2004). Kulka et al. (1988) compared children of veterans diagnosed with PTSD with those not diagnosed with PTSD and determined that the children whose parent was diagnosed with PTSD exhibited more behavioral issues as well as severe behavioral problems. Caselli and Motta (1995) found that the presence of PTSD and combat experience accounted for 34% of the variance in child behavior problems, and when factored alone, PTSD accounts for 31% of this variance. Thus, the diagnosis of PTSD reliably predicts children's internalized and externalized behaviors, and is more predictive of the externalized dysfunctional behaviors. The effects of war have caused Iran's veterans to suffer from many neuropsychological disturbances, and war has diminished opportunities for jobs and education and devastated the social economy. Physical and emotional conditions of the returning soldier as well as the conditions of the family, including the quality of the marital relationship, the presence of children, and the family living space, add to the sense of deprivation and stress for the veteran experiences. …
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