Outcomes from the Blue Star Family Lifestyle Survey: Recommendations for Organizations Serving Military Families
By: Joyce Trzoniec
The Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey1 aims to identify and understand military family experiences and challenges. This survey “remains the largest and most comprehensive survey of active duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, Veterans and their families.”
The most recent survey was launched in May 20242. The results of the survey were released in March 2025.
This article summarizes the military and family life challenges reported by survey respondents and offers solutions that organizations may use to address these challenges and enhance their support to military families.
Summary of 2024 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Findings
Demographics
The survey was administered to over 5,000 military-connected adults, including Veterans and Retirees. This paper focuses on responses from Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve families, of which 80% were active duty spouses followed by active duty service members (13%) and National Guard/Reserve families 9%.
| Respondent Group |
Total |
Percentage |
| Active Duty Spouses |
2,297 |
78.4% |
| Active Duty Service Members |
378 |
12.9% |
| Reserve Families |
129 |
4.4% |
| National Guard Families |
125 |
4.3% |
| Total |
2,929 |
100% |
Issues of Concern Reported by Respondents
Magellan categorized primary challenges reported by survey respondents into five actionable themes:
- Spouse Employment
- Child Care
- Financial Issues
- Mental Healthcare Access
- Suicide Postvention
While primary challenges were similar to those reported in the 2023 survey, the 2024 survey provided further clarification of the root causes to these challenges. This gave Magellan better insight into the core issues voiced by survey respondents. Below is a summary of the reported challenges, root causes, and the specific survey responses.
| Category |
Root Causes |
Response Specifics |
| Spouse Employment |
- Conflicts with long hours of active duty spouse
- Unable to maintain job after relocation
- OCONUS: SOFA restrictions
|
- Employment has been top concern of military spouses for the last 5 years.
- 23% of military spouses are unemployed. Top reasons:
- Childcare too expensive: 64%.
- Service member’s work schedule too long: 51%.
- Childcare unavailable or wait-list too long: 43%.
- Not worth it because take home pay would be too low: 40%.
- Of those employed, many report underemployment:
- Pay lower than experience and education: 40%.
- Overqualified for position: 37%.
- Percentage of spouses able to maintain same job after relocation has decreased slightly since last year (2023: 20%; 2024: 16%).
- Only 35% of employed spouses have jobs where they can work remotely.
- 39% report needing 3 months to find new job after relocation and 2 months to find childcare.
|
| Child Care |
- Connecting with and applying for assistance is cumbersome and complicated.
|
- Child Care is a significant barrier to spouse employment. Reasons:
- Connecting with and applying for assistance is cumbersome and complicated
- Most spouses who work pay out of pocket for childcare (92%). Only 12% use fee assistance or subsidies. 34% report a lack of awareness of fee assistance, and 30% believe they would not qualify.
- 21% utilize CDCs for childcare.
- The majority (64%) rate the process to receive fee assistance as “difficult” or “very difficult.”
|
| Financial Stress |
- Unreimbursed Relocation Costs
|
- 48% of military families report military pay as a top five concern, compared to 37% in 2023, 40% in 2022, and 24%/28% in 2021/2020.
- 77% of families report that two incomes are essential to manage financial issues.
- Top contributors to financial stress have remained constant over the last 3 years. Housing (48%), unreimbursed relocation costs (32%, and under/un-employment: (28%).
- 52% of respondents report longer than 1-2 years to financially recover after PCS. (Note PCSs occur on average between every 24-36 months).
- 72% of spouses report longer than 3-9 months to find work after PCS.
- 7% experience medical debt. One third of those with medical debt owe over $2,000 most often due to copays/deductibles, dental care, and emergency bills.
|
| Mental Healthcare Access |
- Lack of awareness or knowledge about how to assist a family member with mental health needs.
- Providers not taking new patients, not putting anyone on wait list.
- Difficulties in finding a new provider after PCS.
|
- An average of 57% of military spouses report lack of awareness or lack of knowledge regarding how to assist their service/family member with mental health needs.
- 25% of active-duty family respondents report they currently receive mental health care.
- 22% report they would like to receive care but do not currently (down from 26% in 2023).
- 37% unable to schedule appt. or be put on wait list. If on wait list, 40% had to wait longer than 3 months.
- 20% active-duty family respondents report their child currently receives mental health care.
- 13% would like their child(ren) to receive mental health care, but they do not.
- 42% who report that their child(ren) do not receive care, but they would like them to, say this is because they cannot find an available provider.
- Of those on wait list, 90% wait longer than 3 months.
|
| Suicide Postvention |
- Communication of postvention resources may not reach all who are affected by suicide.
- Shortage of mental health services for those who seek them.
|
- 26% of active-duty service members and 23% of spouses report that their command has experienced a suicide in the last 12 months. Highest percentage in Navy (33%), most often those at sea duty.
- 47% of active-duty family members who report their unit/command experienced a suicide within the last 12 months said they did not know if resources are offered.
|
Suggestions to Enhance Military Family Support At Your Organization
Magellan behavioral health counselors and leaders convened to discuss opportunities to respond to survey findings. Here are some suggested interventions for organizations to enhance military family support for their employees, customers, and the community.
| Category |
Suggested Activity |
| Overall Wellness |
- Sponsor an event to focus on military populations and be open to internal and external interested parties.
- Create resources or programs specifically for military families who transition, including those who PCS. Collect information on challenges experienced during transition, including spouse employment, childcare, housing costs, school adjustment, social support, etc., and connect them with information and peers.
|
| Spouse Employment |
- Focus on recruiting military spouses to bring in diversity and unique skill sets.
- Support a military spouse intern or create a military mentorship program.
|
| Child Care |
- Compose or share articles that bring awareness to military childcare options within the community (Militarychildcare.com).
- Communicate available childcare resources or benefits (including if there are costs involved).
|
| Financial Stress |
- Refer military families to financial support and/or financial counseling resources.
|
| Mental Healthcare |
- Educate on the mental health continuum of care and available benefit options.
- Assist with connections to new providers.
|
| Suicide Postvention |
- Provide suicide prevention and postvention materials from your local installation.
- Offer suicide training and communicate support group information.
|
Conclusion
Military families continue facing significant challenges across employment, childcare, finances, and mental health access. The 2024 Blue Star survey data highlight these persistent issues, demonstrating the critical need for coordinated community support. By implementing even one suggested activity from this article, your organization can meaningfully contribute to the network that supports these families. Our military community deserves our full commitment—the time to act is now.
Joyce Trzoniec, has over 20 years of experience in behavioral health service, including consumer education, prevention programs, population health, healthcare quality improvement, and managed care administration. She currently serves as the Director, External Communications for the Military & Family Counseling Program contract at Magellan Federal; and prior to this role, Ms. Trzoniec oversaw quality and compliance of the same program. Her passion involves motivating individuals to achieve optimal emotional and physical health through awareness and illness-prevention strategies.