Evin Richardson and her colleagues at the University of Georgia have uncovered something vital for the 1.7 million adolescents living in military families across the United States: the quality of their relationships—with parents, peers, teachers, and coaches—directly shapes their ability to cope with stress and protect their mental health.
The research matters because military youth face a uniquely disrupted childhood. Regular relocations, the constant possibility of parental deployment overseas, and separation from extended family and longtime friends create an environment where traditional support networks dissolve and rebuild repeatedly. For teenagers already navigating the standard turbulence of adolescence, these additional transitions can feel overwhelming. Yet the study, which analyzed responses from more than 1,000 adolescents aged 11 to 18 with at least one active-duty military parent, reveals a clear pathway forward.
The most striking finding centers on friendships. Nearly 65% of the military youth surveyed identified their peers—friends, boyfriends, girlfriends—as their primary source of non-familial support, making friendships far more integral to their well-being than relationships with teachers, coaches, or other trusted adults. Within the home, over half identified their mother as their main source of family support, likely reflecting the military's demographic reality: most fathers are active-duty service members while most mothers are civilians, giving mothers a more consistent presence during deployments.
But numbers alone don't capture what matters most. "Relationships are important for all youth and for military youth in particular," Richardson explains. "For military youth who are highly transitional, relationships may be a little bit more challenging for them—especially non-familial relationships—because their community often changes so frequently." Catherine Walker O'Neal, Richardson's co-author and an associate professor at UGA, frames it more plainly: "Does someone care about you? Do they listen to you? Do they understand you? That is the heart of what this paper is about."
The research traces a direct line from supportive relationships to adaptive coping skills to improved mental health. Adolescents with strong peer and parental connections learn problem-solving, self-reliance, and resilience by watching and practicing alongside role models. They develop safe spaces where they can set aside worries about relocations or isolation and instead focus on building confidence and managing stress. Young people who reported higher levels of adaptive coping were more engaged in school, had greater belief in their ability to handle life's challenges, and experienced fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.
For families and mentors, the implication is actionable. Parents who invest time in their communities—attending local events, connecting with neighbors—create stability and continuity for their children. Encouraging adolescents to join extracurricular activities, whether on or off military bases, provides natural spaces to build meaningful friendships and mentor relationships. O'Neal emphasizes modeling adaptive behaviors: demonstrating how to compromise, work hard, and talk through difficulties. "It's important that they know how to cope on their own but also that they know it's OK to ask for help from the people in their lives, both inside and outside of their family," she said.
The research offers military families and their communities a hopeful frame: by intentionally nurturing these relationships, adolescents can transform the instability inherent in military life into opportunities to build genuine resilience and long-term mental well-being.