The Australian Gulf War Veterans’ Follow Up Health Study 2015 (Follow Up Study) is a follow up to the original Australian Gulf War Veterans’ Health Study 2003 (the 2003 study), also commissioned by DVA, to assess Gulf War veterans’ health and wellbeing 20 years after deployment.

The Follow Up Study is a longitudinal cohort study conducted from 2010 to 2015.  It compares the physical, psychological and social health and military related exposures of Australian Defence Force veterans of the First Gulf War against a military comparison group and the 2003 study.  A mortality and cancer study component of the Follow Up Study involved the entire Gulf War and military comparison groups, comprising a total of 4,793 people.

At follow up Gulf War veterans were found to be resilient. They were likely to have accessed disability and health services, which may suggest that the Gulf War cohort is seeking help when they need it.  At follow up there was a reduction in smoking, with one half of those who reported being a smoker in the 2003 study no longer smoking.

The Follow Up Study found Gulf War veteran participants were more likely than the military comparison group to suffer from a number of conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol disorder, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic multisymptom illness.

There were no statistically significant differences in cancer and mortality rates between Gulf War veterans and the military comparison group.

As part of the Australian Gulf War Veterans' Health Study (published in 2003), serum samples were collected from consenting participants, for long-term storage and future potential research. In 2005, a Serum Management Committee (the Committee) was established to provide oversight of the stored samples.

The Vietnam Veterans Family Study (VVFS) is the most significant research program ever undertaken by the Australian Government into the health of the families of Australia’s Vietnam veterans. The four volumes, released in 2014, examine the effect of Vietnam War service on the physical, mental and social health of the sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans. 

Over 27,000 people participated in the studies, including Vietnam veterans, partners and their children. Defence Force personnel of the same era who did not deploy to Vietnam, and their families, participated in the study as a control group.

A further report, titled Spouses and Partners of Vietnam Veterans – Findings from the Vietnam Veterans Family Study, was commissioned following consultation with the veteran community through the Ex-Service Organisation Round Table (ESORT). Feedback from stakeholders highlighted the importance of including spouses and partners in the VVFS analysis. 

Information about the consultation process, ESORT’s recommendations, and the Government Response can be found below.

• ESORT Feedback Paper (PDF 784 KB)
  ESORT Feedback Paper (DOCX 604 KB)
• Government Response to the Vietnam Veterans Family Study

Findings

The VVFS found that the majority of sons and daughters born to Vietnam veterans are leading healthy and productive lives. However, analysis found that the families of Australia’s Vietnam veterans are more likely to have considerable emotional, physical, and social issues when compared to families of those who served in that era but did not deploy to Vietnam.

When examining mortality amongst the children of Vietnam veterans, the research found that the children of Vietnam veterans and Vietnam-era personnel had lower mortality rates when compared to the general Australian population and that there were no significant differences in deaths from cancer. Sons of Vietnam veterans deployed had a higher mortality rate compared with Vietnam-era personnel from late teenage years to adulthood, largely due to external causes which include car accidents, misadventure and suicide.

To see the full reports released in 2014 please follow these links:

• Volume 1: Introduction and Summary of the Studies of Vietnam Veteran Families (PDF 614 KB)
  Volume 1: Introduction and Summary of the Studies of Vietnam Veteran Families (DOCX 2.92 MB)
• Volume 2: A Study of Health and Social Issues in Vietnam Veteran Sons and Daughters (PDF 748 KB)
  Volume 2: A Study of Health and Social Issues in Vietnam Veteran Sons and Daughters (DOCX 2.30 MB)
• Volume 3: A Study of Mortality Patterns of Vietnam Veteran Families (PDF 901 KB)
  Volume 3: A Study of Mortality Patterns of Vietnam Veteran Families (DOCX 2.84 MB)
• Volume 4: Supplementary Studies of Vietnam Veteran Families' Experiences (PDF 2.09 MB)
  Volume 4: Supplementary Studies of Vietnam Veteran Families' Experiences (DOCX 7.41 MB)

The report Spouses and Partners of Vietnam Veterans – Findings from the Vietnam Veterans Family Study confirms the long-term impact of Vietnam War service on family members. The two main areas that partners were faring less well in were mental health and couple relationships, though significant results were also found for perceptions of general physical health, perceptions of family relationships and socio-economic disadvantage.

The study confirms that veteran partners should continue to be considered in the design of early intervention supports to help reduce the long term impact of military service on families.

• Spouses and Partners of Vietnam Veterans – Findings from the Vietnam Veterans Family Study
• Spouses and Partners of Vietnam Veterans – Summary of findings from the Vietnam Veterans Family Study

Support services

The research shows that operational service affects more than just the person who serves. It can also impact on family members which is why DVA has services to help families adjust and cope. Studies such as these help inform support programs and services.

For veterans and their families, support is available through Open Arms — Veterans & Families Counselling. Open Arms provides 24 hour, free and confidential counselling and support to veterans and their families. For more information, call 1800 011 046 or visit the Open Arms website.

Families can find out about support available from DVA on the website.

More information about mental health support is also available here.

Further information

For further information, see also:

• Media backgrounder (PDF 167 KB)
  Media backgrounder (DOCX 79 KB)
• Ministerial media release — Important research studies released
• Government response to the Vietnam Veterans Family Study 2014 (PDF 113 KB)

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) commissioned Bond University, Tactical Research Unit to quantify exposures that occur during the initial training of full-time Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and compare those findings with the exposure threshold levels set out in the Statements of Principles for osteoarthritis in the lower limb established by the Repatriation Medical Authority.

The study’s findings have supported the work undertaken by DVA to improve access to services, streamline the compensation claims process, and fast track access to treatment by lessening the need for some veterans to explain how their service has caused OLL when submitting claims to DVA.

The series of studies, commissioned by the Repatriation Commission, was undertaken in response to a recommendation of the 1997 Mortality of Vietnam Veterans: The Veteran Cohort Study, which was to monitor the mortality of Vietnam veterans and repeat the study after 2000.

The first three reports in a series of studies of mortality and cancer incidence in Australian Vietnam veterans were released on September 5th 2006. 

The reports were produced by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs with the assistance of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

A fourth report in the series was released on 26 September 2007.

Each of the four completed reports can stand alone as a complete study. However, the first three volumes should be taken together for a more thorough understanding of the mortality and cancer incidence of this cohort of Australian Vietnam veterans and an Overarching Executive Summary has been produced to assist in understanding . The fourth volume investigates a specific aspect of Vietnam service, that is the exposure to an anti-malarial drug, Dapsone.

The reports and their overarching summary are available at Overarching Executive Summary.

The Health Study 2005: Australian Veterans of the Korean War is the third and final study in a series of studies of the health of Australian Korean War veterans. The reports for first two studies, the Cancer Incidence Study and the Mortality Study, were released in 2003. The three studies constitute a major study program of health in this Australian veteran population and represent one of the most comprehensive investigations of health ever conducted in an entire veteran group.

Health Study 2005: Australian Veterans of the Korean War was prompted by recommendations from the first two studies concerning the need for a general health survey of Australian Korean War veterans. The study compared surviving male Korean War veterans with a group of men of similar age who were resident in Australia at the time of the Korean War but who did not serve in Korea.

The study was commissioned by the Repatriation Commission, managed by the Department of Veterans' Affairs and conducted by Monash University.

Independent studies by Professor David Dunt - As part of its election commitment, the Australian Government committed to conduct a study to examine the broad issue of suicide in the ex-service community, including a number of specific cases of suicide over the past three years, to help identify the following:

• ex-service members who are at increased risk of self harm
• common contributing factors among ex-service members who have committed or attempted suicide
• the extent of suicide in the ex-service community
• lifestyle or other factors that may be contributing to suicide in the ex-service community
• recommended administrative reforms or initiatives to help combat suicide in the ex-service community.

The Government appointed Professor David Dunt to undertake the study. Professor Dunt is a public health specialist and epidemiologist with major interests in health program evaluation and health services research.  He was also appointed to conduct the Review of Mental Health Care in the Australian Defence Force and Transition through Discharge (Defence website).

Prof. Dunt presented his study to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs in February 2009. The Minister announced the Government’s response (PDF 149 KB) in May 2009.

Terms of reference

The terms of reference for the study were developed in consultation with the National Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum.

See: Suicide study terms of reference (PDF 47 KB)

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) commissioned Dr Samantha Crompvoets to lead a study in 2009 into the health and wellbeing of female Vietnam and contemporary veterans. The study was completed in 2012. The report’s findings were based on in-depth interviews with 60 female veterans and 30 workers in the female veteran health and wellbeing field, as well as reviews of previous research.

The ADF Service Women Steering Committee report and joint Defence/DVA response 

The Departments of Veterans’ Affairs and Defence jointly established the ADF Service Women Steering Committee (the Committee) to provide recommendations for improving Defence and DVA services for current and former ADF members. The Committee’s membership included current and former soldiers, sailors and air women (regular/permanent and reserve).

The Committee considered Dr Crompvoets’ report and discussed practical ways to improve current and former ADF service women’s access to services.

The Committee concluded that there are no major gaps evident in Defence or DVA services for current and former ADF service women, but identified that there was a lack of awareness by women of available support and services.

The Committee also found that significant changes have occurred with the services provided by Defence and DVA during and since Dr Crompvoets’ study that have enhanced care and support for contemporary veterans, including female veterans, and their families.

The Committee made 24 recommendations. DVA and Defence have accepted the majority of the Committee’s recommendations and will continue to work together to improve responsiveness to the needs of women who serve or have served our nation.

The ADF Service Women Steering Committee

With approximately 14 per cent of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) being female, female veterans are making up an increasing proportion of DVA clients. In 2012, an average of 345 females served on overseas operations at any given time, with their roles including logistics, health, communications, transport, signals, engineering and intelligence. The start of 2013 saw the ADF open all employment categories to servicewomen and a new Army recruitment campaign to increase the number of women serving over the next 12 months.

More than 11 000 veterans with one or more accepted conditions under any Act administered by DVA are female. In the last few years the Department has significantly improved services for contemporary veterans, including female veterans. DVA and Defence have also recognised that female veterans have unique requirements and so have established an ADF Service Women Steering Committee to inform both departments of the specific needs of women.

The committee is co-chaired by Gayle Anderson, Assistant Secretary Service Development and Defence Relations Branch (DVA) and MAJGEN Gerard Fogarty AO, Head of People Capability, Defence. Membership includes female current and former serving members (both regular and reserve) who have deployed on operations to Somalia, Timor Leste, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The committee is considering a broad range of information, including research by Dr Samantha Crompvoets of the Australian National University which was funded through DVA’s Applied Research Program. The study, completed in 2012, was commissioned to look at the needs of the growing number of female veterans. The report from this study into the health and wellbeing of female Vietnam and contemporary veterans is available on the DVA website.

The ADF Service Women Steering Committee has met three times between May 2013 and 30 June 2013 and will continue to meet regularly until August 2013, after which the Committee will report to the Repatriation and Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commissions with recommendations to further guide service design.

DVA commissioned this study in 2011 to gain a better understanding of the experiences of reservists. The field-based component of the study consisted of face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 39 ADF reservists, primarily from the Army with a smaller number from the Air Force. The text-based component centred on a review of the academic literature, as well as a review of historical documents and an inventory of support services available to reservists.

The study found that reservists vary in the way they understand their reservist identity. Some identify more with a ‘full-timer’ identity and feel a close connection with ADF membership and military skills, while some identify more as a ‘part-timer’ and place stronger emphasis on their civilian professional skills. The researcher found that the extent to which reservists identify with the ADF can affect outcomes including their health and wellbeing, cohesion with their unit and accessing of support services.

The reservists study has provided DVA with useful information about the experiences and needs of a sample of contemporary reservists. As a qualitative pilot study, the report is exploratory in nature. It does not quantify the extent to which the views expressed by the participants would be shared among reservists and reservist veterans more generally. Nevertheless, the report provides a useful understanding of issues experienced by the reservists interviewed and identified in the academic literature.

The report has informed DVA’s understanding of how reservists identify and the potential implications of this for DVA’s communication and engagement with reservists. It has also informed a focus on reservists in planning future DVA research. On 11 June 2014, the Government announced a joint DVA/Defence Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme which includes a nested study on reservists.

Reservists can access similar DVA support and services to those available to Permanent ADF members. For details on reservists’ entitlements, please see DVA website and/or the Claims for reservists. Reservists who are in doubt about what DVA services or support they could access are encouraged to contact DVA.

The aim of this Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was to conduct a review of the scientific evidence regarding whether occupational exposures to jet fuels and specified solvents of most relevance to the military were associated with risks to the reproductive health of women.

The aim of this Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was to conduct a literature review of adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes in men from occupational exposure to specified solvents relevant to the Australian military.