Adolescent children of Vietnam combat veteran fathers: a population at risk.

This exploratory study compared 28 adolescent children of Vietnam combat veterans with 28 adolescents whose fathers were not in Vietnam on multiple variables related to (1) social and personal adjustment, (2) attitudes toward parents, and (3) personality development. The majority of outcomes were not significantly different. The children of combat veterans, however, showed poorer attitudes toward school; more negative attitudes toward their fathers; elevated scores of depression, tension, apprehension, and anxiety; lowered scores on creativity; and their mothers rated their behaviors as more problematic. Interactions with gender were not significantly different. Copyright 1999 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.