The 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 and postvention programs for the Australian veteran community. The project aims to enhance DVA's understanding of the number and location of Australian suicide prevention and postvention programs and the future needs of the veteran community regarding suicide prevention and postvention programs.

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 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 aim of this Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was to examine the evidence to establish whether ageing veterans experience challenges and issues that differ from those of the general population. Also, the factors and interventions that positively affect health and wellbeing outcomes for older people (particularly those from military backgrounds).

Results from the third study of mortality and cancer incidence among F-111 aircraft maintenance personnel, commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs, were released on 20 February 2009 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The report, Third study of mortality and cancer incidence in aircraft maintenance personnel: A continuing study of F-111 Deseal/Reseal personnel, is a follow-up study into mortality and cancer incidence in aircraft maintenance personnel involved in the F-111 aircraft Deseal/Reseal (DSRS) programs between 1977 and 1999. Findings from this study are consistent with the 2004 study. Findings indicate that although overall cancer incidence in men who were involved in DSRS programs was higher than the Australian male population, the numbers were too small to be statistically significant. Additionally, overall mortality was lower for DSRS personnel when compared with the Australian male population.

The AIHW believes that the small numbers make interpretation of these results inconclusive and recommends that the study be repeated in 2011 when more data will be available to improve certainty about the findings.

The report of the Fourth study of mortality and cancer incidence in aircraft maintenance personnel:

A continuing study of F-111 Deseal/Reseal personnel, was released on 17 October 2016 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The broad purpose of this follow up MCIS study was to see if there was a higher rate of cancer or mortality among Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and civilian aircraft maintenance personnel involved with F-111 Deseal/Reseal (DSRS) between 1974 and 2000 compared to other RAAF personnel who were not involved.  

The key findings are broadly consistent with the previous studies taking into consideration the additional years of follow-up and differences in the datasets. The latest study added information from ‘Tier classifications’ to identify more personnel in the study group. 

Higher cancer incidence and lower mortality incidence among the F-111 DSRS group was found to be statistically significant due to the greater number of cases that have occurred over time.

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.