Life below the surface: The realities of submariner families

About the study 

This study explores the challenges faced by Royal Navy Submariner families, highlighting the impact of prolonged separation, limited communication, and military life on mental health, relationships, and career opportunities. The study involved qualitative interviews with 21 family members and 4 not-for-profit representatives.

These insights aim to inform funding decisions to better support Submariner families, ensuring their needs are met throughout the deployment cycle.

Findings 

As outlined below, findings reveal significant emotional strain, social isolation, and career sacrifices, particularly for spouses managing childcare alone. Children often experience anxiety and behavioural changes due to inconsistent contact with their deployed parent. While support services exist, many families were unaware of available resources or hesitant to access Royal Navy-affiliated services due to confidentiality concerns. Not-for-profit organisations played a crucial role but faced funding and accessibility challenges. 

• Emotional strain: Families struggle with anxiety, stress, and feelings of isolation during deployments
• Limited communication: Strict security protocols make contact with deployed Submariners difficult
• Career impact: Spouses face limited job opportunities due to childcare and frequent relocations
• Social isolation: Families find it hard to connect outside the military community
• Challenges for children: Separation leads to anxiety, behavioural issues, and uncertainty
• Lack of awareness of support: Many families are unaware of available support services
• Hesitation to seek help: Fear of confidentiality breaches discourages engagement with Royal Navy services
• Gaps in mental health support: Families lack adequate resources to manage deployment stress
• Barriers to not-for-profit support: Limited funding and accessibility hinder specialist and targeted service provision
• Need for better collaboration: Stronger links between military, statutory, and non-military organisations are required to better support provision

The report recommends improving mental health support, strengthening community networks, enhancing communication during deployments, and providing better career opportunities for spouses. Sustainable funding and greater collaboration between military, statutory, and not-for-profit organisations are also suggested to ensure Submariner families receive the support they need.

Methodology 

This research primarily engaged with Submariner family members to understand their experiences, particularly during periods of deployment and frequent relocations. The study defined family broadly, including spouses, children, and other significant individuals in the Submariner's life. 

Research employed a multi-strand recruitment approach involving collaborations with various organizations to disseminate project materials via social media, newsletters, and mailing lists. Participants were recruited through an online questionnaire, and a snowball sampling technique encouraged further participation. 

The study consisted of in-depth qualitative interviews with 25 participants, including 21 family members and 4 representatives from not-for-profit organizations. 

Interviews were conducted remotely with a trauma-informed approach, exploring emotional, social, and practical impacts of deployment on family dynamics and wellbeing. 

Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, focusing on patterns and themes across interviews. The analysis highlighted the diverse perspectives and challenges faced by Submariner families and provided insight into gaps in support services.