The first major study on bereaved military families is being conducted by experts at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) in Bethesda, Maryland.
The study is being designed to make up for the lack of substantial research on the impact of the death of a family member serving in the U.S. military. The researchers believe that by interviewing and surveying families and relatives of deceased military members a scientific basis will be able to guide the policies that help the families, an outline of the study explains on their website.
"To be able to study what we felt and what we're going through - maybe this will help people down the line," Aimee Wriglesworth, a 28-year-old widow, said to Fox News.
Wriglesworth's husband, Army Maj. Chad Wriglesworth, battled skin cancer for a year that she alleges came from the exposure to toxic fumes in Iraq. She and her 6-year-old daughter are participating in the survey, among thousands of others, in hopes to help other military families in the future who will also go through bereavement.
Eligible participants in the survey will come from the families of the more than 19,000 service members from all branches of the military who have died on active duty since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The deaths are not restricted to those who died in combat, reported Fox News.
"We've been impressed by how many people who've had this experience really want to let us know about it," Dr. Stephen Cozza, the leader of the study, said to Fox News. "They want to talk about what happened - to provide information that will help them and people like them in the future."
The study will also include DNA research to determine if certain genetic makeups correlate with the duration of the grieving process and the levels of stress and depression experienced as it unfolds, reported Fox News.
"These are young families - a lot of single parents raising kids alone," Jill Harrington, the senior field researcher, said to Fox News. "When someone dies young, there's a loss of the future. How do you live with that loss in your life?"
All of the interviewers are experienced in dealing with grief and military culture. The final report isn't expected to be published until 2017.
