This study investigated the health of Australian veterans of deployments on United Nations sanctioned peacekeeping missions to Rwanda, Somalia, Cambodia, Namibia, Western Sahara and East Timor over the period 1989-2002.

The study examined the long-term effect of peacekeeping on the mental and physical health status, health service use and quality of life of veterans who had transitioned out of full-time service.

The study found that 65% of peacekeepers reported they were in good, very good, or excellent health.  However, 30% of peacekeepers had at least one diagnosable mental health condition.

The research provides a better understanding of the long-term pathways to care and usage of health care services for peacekeepers.

The two most recent Australian Defence Force Firefighter occupational health research studies are now available.

DVA commissioned an independent Occupational Health Research Studies Review Examining the Occupational Health of Firefighters (October 2017) to assess the current level of medical-scientific evidence for 12 cancers prescribed under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Act 2011 (Firefighters Act), plus melanoma. The review was led by Professor Nicola Fear at King’s Centre for Military Health Research, King’s College London, United Kingdom and consists of three reports:

The study to investigate the health effects of participation in the British nuclear tests in Australia is reported in two volumes.

Volume 1, the radiation dosimetry study, used data from the tests and modelling to estimate the radiation exposure of participants in the tests.

Volume 2 includes: the mortality study, which compared the number of deaths in test participants with that of the general population from the time of the nuclear tests to the end of 2001; and the cancer study, which compared the number of cases of cancer, whether fatal or not, in test participants, with that in the general population from 1982 to the end of 2001, and compared radiation exposure of participants with and without leukaemia.

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. 

This Comparative Literature Review was the first research project to involve collaboration between the Departments of Veterans’ Affairs of the United States of America (US) and Australia, and was funded by the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

The review aimed to gain an understanding of the differences and similarities between post-1990 military deployment contexts, health impacts and veterans’ health care systems in Australia and the US.

By reviewing and analysing existing research and publicly available data, the study found that:

The US deployed significantly more personnel to each of the conflicts. US personnel in the Gulf War were more likely to experience direct combat than Australian personnel. The US also maintained a longer presence in Somalia compared to Australia.

Overall rates of posttraumatic stress disorder were similar between Australia and the US.  Prevalence estimates for US veterans of Iraq tended to be higher compared to Australian veterans, and prevalence estimates for Australian Somalia veterans appeared to be higher than in US veterans.

Gulf War veterans from both countries had a reduced risk of suicide compared with respective general populations.  US veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan had high estimated rates of suicidal ideation.  

Estimates of multisymptom illness were lower for Australian Gulf War veterans compared to US Gulf War veterans.

Traumatic brain injury prevalence estimates in Australian Afghanistan/Iraq War veterans were at the low end of those reported in US studies.    

The two countries’ healthcare systems were similar in range of services, focus on mental health, and increasing use of technology. The systems were different in method of service provision and financial structure.

This study was a preliminary overview covering a range of deployments and health and social outcomes.  While it gives an accurate summary of the published literature, it did not test for the statistical significance of differences in health outcomes between different populations.