The 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.

In Australian-first research, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) commissioned Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health to examine the rates of intimate partner violence among current- and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, using data collected in 2015 from a large-scale study of current (at the time) and recently (then) transitioned ADF personnel and their families.

For the purposes of this research, the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme data was used to:

• examine the rates of intimate partner violence within the Australian veteran community;
• identify vulnerable groups; and
• provide an understanding of the implications of intimate partner violence on help-seeking and service utilisation.

Findings from the study suggest an elevated number of veteran families having experienced IPV, identifying them as a vulnerable cohort. 

Future application

The findings highlight opportunities for continued action to address intimate partner violence in the veteran community, a national priority for the Australian Government and the DVA.

The research will inform and enhance work already underway, including DVA’s Family and Domestic Violence Strategy 2020-2025, the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, and the Defence Strategy for Preventing and Responding to Family and Domestic Violence 2023-2028.

How can we support you

If you, or someone you know, is at risk of violence, call Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046. In an emergency, call triple zero (000).

The Department of Veterans' Affairs commissioned the University of Newcastle via its College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing – Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, to conduct a Horizon Scan of mental health and wellbeing service delivery, with a specific focus on veterans and families. The objective of the Horizon Scan was to identify trends, threats, opportunities, drivers of change and alternative approaches for the department's Mental Health and Wellbeing Services Division (MHWSD) and the broader mental health, wellbeing and veteran and family support sectors, in order to inform the work of the MHWSD Service Review and Transformation Program.

The Horizon Scan was conducted between April and November 2022, and included consultation with representatives from the veteran community (including families), veteran support organisations, academia, government, and professional experts and organisations.

The aim of this project was to review the literature in relation to how moral injury is conceptualised, models of moral injury, linkages between moral injury and common mental health issues, and the effectiveness of moral injury interventions in veteran and military populations.

In order to answer these questions, a narrative literature review and a REA were conducted.

This Rapid Evidence Assessment investigates the research literature analysing the risk factors for ex-serving personnel entering corrective services systems in Australia and/or other relevant jurisdictions. The report examines and synthesises recent research evidence regarding risk factors for entry into corrective services systems by ex-serving personnel across the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

This report overviews and contextualises the Mental Health and Wellbeing Transition Study methodology, describes the study populations and presents the key findings from the first two technical reports of the Study, Mental Health Prevalence and Pathways to Care. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Transition Study is one of three studies that comprise the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme.

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.

This aim of this review was to assess the current standing of public and self-anti-stigma interventions and investigate what has been shown to be an effective intervention to reduce stigma at the public and individual level.

The aim of this rapid evidence assessment (REA) was to assess the evidence related to meditation and mindfulness practices (meditation, transcendental meditation, mantra, yoga, and mindfulness) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) in adults.