Research and Studies
Health research and social research publications
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs carries out a wide range of research to support the health and wellbeing needs of veterans and families of veterans. This page brings together a range of DVA commissioned research, evaluations and literature reviews.
Readers should note that some older publications may reflect the evidence base and policy context at the time they were produced and may not fully align with current research, practice, or priorities.
A list of current projects can be seen at Current Research Projects.
Needs of Spouse Carers of World War II Veterans
2026The overall aim of this project was to compare the health and use of health services of women in their 70’s and 80’s who are DVA Gold Card holders, or wives of DVA Gold Card holders, with similarly aged women in the general community who have no connections with DVA.
Veteran use of Aged Care services
2026Conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) in 2002, this report summarises the results of a study which examined the characteristics and service profile of recipients of Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs) who held a DVA gold or white card and compared this group and those who did not have a DVA gold or white card.
The Intergenerational Health Effects of Service in Military
2026The Centre for Military and Veterans' Health developed a research protocol in response to the Feasibility Study into a Health Study of the Sons and Daughters of Vietnam Veterans (Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2006). This work builds on the work of the Deployment Health Surveillance Program, which conducted cross-sectional studies of serving and ex-serving personnel who have deployed on specific operations.
Veteran self-employment experiences and wellbeing impacts
2025The Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs commissioned ORIMA Research to conduct a qualitative study on the experiences of self-employed veterans and the impact of self-employment on their wellbeing.
Analysis of Australian Suicide Prevention and Postvention Programs
2025The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) commissioned Australian Catholic University (ACU) National Centre for Veterans and Families to determine the number and accessibility of suicide prevention
Investigating best practice approaches to the delivery of in-home domestic assistance
2025DVA commissioned La Trobe University to investigate literature on best practice in in-home domestic assistance programs in order to provide a contemporary evidence base to inform any future policy and program development aimed at improving DVA domestic assistance service offerings to veterans and families.
Veterans' Needs in Aged Care literature review
2024The Department of Veterans' Affairs commissioned the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) to identify and synthesise existing research on older veterans, and their families’ experiences and needs in aged care. The project was commissioned to inform any future improvements to the way aged care is delivered to veterans and to identify gaps in understanding of the needs of older veterans and their families in aged care settings.
CVC Program Evaluation Final Report
2024The Department of Veterans' Affairs commissioned Abt Associates to undertake an evaluation of the Coordinated Veterans’ Care (CVC) Program. The evaluation was commissioned as part of a 2020-21 Budget
Evaluation of the Veterans’ Chaplaincy Pilot Program
2024The Department commissioned an independent evaluation of the Veterans’ Chaplaincy Pilot Program to assess the utilisation of veterans’ chaplaincy support services by transitioning veterans and their families and the effectiveness of the program.
Ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel in corrective services systems in Australia
2023The Department of Veterans' Affairs commissioned Flinders University to undertake research into the experiences of ex-serving Australian Defence Force Personnel in corrective services systems in