The impact of financial strain and external locus of control on psychological distress among single CAF members with children

Introduction: Military families are often confronted with unique financial stressors related to the military lifestyle, including relocations, loss of spousal job, or child care expenses. Moreover, the impact of financial stressors may be exacerbated in single-parent military families. Although there is an increasing number of single-parent families in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), research concerning the role of financial stressors in their psychological well-being is limited. Methods: The goal of this study was to examine the role of financial stressors in the psychological well-being of single and married CAF members with and without children (n = 1,781). Results: Single CAF members with children reported significantly higher financial strain and psychological distress than other CAF members. In addition, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that financial strain and an external locus of control played important roles in psychological distress even when family structure was taken into account. ...