The final report, Examination of the Potential Exposure of RAN Personnel to Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans via Drinking Water, was submitted by the National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (ENTOX) and Queensland Health Scientific Services to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs in December 2002.

The aim of the study was to investigate the potential for exposure of sailors to contaminants via drinking water during the Vietnam War. On Navy ships and Army small ships, potable water was produced from evaporative distillation of surrounding estuarine water. This water may have contained contaminants in solution.

Final report for the Department of Veterans' Affairs

Revised 7 October 2009

This report describes the development, implementation and evaluation of activities undertaken for the Study to Improve Treatment Options for Hard to Engage Clients, conducted by the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH), as part of the Australian Government’s Mental Health Lifecycle Package.  

The target group for the initiative was veterans and former serving members with a mental health problem for which they had not previously had treatment. 

Final Report for the DVA Lifecycle Review

The mental health Lifecycle Initiatives were implemented as a 2008-09 budget measure. The goals included enhancing psychological resilience among service personnel, improving mental health surveillance, supporting successful transition from defence to civilian life, and providing effective rehabilitation and support. The purpose of the current analysis was to consider the implications of the project outcomes, as well as to examine the usefulness of the lifecycle concept for future policy and program development. This document is a discussion paper designed to raise issues for consideration. It is not intended to provide specific recommendations. 

The Lifecycle Initiative outcomes were reviewed and interviews conducted with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and Defence stakeholders. Key themes were identified and used to guide both a literature review and consultation with overseas military and veteran mental health experts. The material was then integrated for consideration by key DVA and Defence personnel.

As part of the Government response to the 'Independent Study into Suicide in the Ex-service Community', DVA commissioned the Australian Institute of Suicide Research and Prevention to undertake a review of the Operation Life Suicide Awareness workshops to ensure they were evidenced based. DVA accepted all recommendations made in the final report. 

The project analyses the educational choices made by Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans. It studies the success of their subsequent labour market outcomes, compared to those who returned to the ADF after training, and compared to the broader group of civilians who undertook the same type of training, and with whom they will be competing in the civilian labour market. The project aims to provide young veterans with information on their future labour market prospects arising from investments in further education through Vocational Education and Training (VET).

This literature review was funded under the Department of Veterans' Affairs Applied Research Program and conducted by the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention.  The review examined Australian and international sources to determine prevalence and risk factors for suicide and non-fatal suicidal behaviour in serving and ex-serving military personnel.  

Fifty-one Australian and international papers and reports were included in the review.  The review indicated that there is no current research that would allow a comparison of suicide mortality rates between Australian ex-serving personnel and the general community.  However, there is some evidence that Australian Vietnam veterans could be at increased risk of non-fatal suicidal behaviour and suicidal ideation.  Other research suggests that veterans might experience veteran-specific risk factors such as difficulty returning to civilian life and a reluctance to seek help for their problems.  International research, from the United States in particular, provides a different spectrum of evidence.  However, international findings have limited generalisability to the Australian context due to differing military sizes, operational tempo, models of health care, and access to firearms.

The limited number of Australian publications available for review points to the need for high-quality studies that analyse the prevalence of and risk factors for suicide among Australian ex-serving personnel. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of Defence, is continuing to explore rates of suicidal behaviour and ideation as part of its Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme.

Suicidal behaviour and ideation among military personnel: Australian and international trends:

The purpose of this report is to collate evidence gleaned from the international research literature, as well as the personal experiences of claimants, family members, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) personnel, in order to inform our understanding of the relationship between applying for compensation and adverse mental health outcomes.