Veterans transitioning to civilian life deserve better support

Australia is falling short in supporting military veterans once they leave service – with researchers expressing concern about blinkered approaches to their care and wellbeing.

Flinders University and La Trobe University researchers say that too much emphasis is put on psychiatric and psychological support and medical interventions for mental health care, while not enough is done to ensure veterans have basics such as a home, a job and a support network.

“One of the most significant challenges for our veterans is the transition process when they leave service.  This is an opportune moment to identify any challenges and put in place proper supports as they re-enter civilian life,” says Professor Ben Wadham from The Open Door Initiative.

“The concern we have is that the current transition service has an overwhelming focus on traditional methods of treatment for mental health but little or no support for the other areas that contribute to quality of life.

“By providing resources like housing, employment and education, as well as mental health services, we can help set them up for a healthy and happy life after service.

“If veterans leave service and have nowhere to live, no employment or no support network this will exacerbate any mental health issues they have,” he says.

The study reviewed the current research and methods used to support Australian military veterans’ psychological, physical and social well-being – and the results raise serious concerns.

“Many of the current programs and services for veterans haven’t been designed with the veterans’ own experiences and needs in mind but instead rely heavily on treating symptoms like anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) without considering other factors at play,” says Professor Wadham.

“Social, organisational, and environmental factors play a huge role in a successful transition into civilian life alongside mental health factors.

“We want to see a greater diversity of approaches to veteran health to deliver holistic tailored programs in a more meaningful way.

“As a nation we seem to be underestimating the challenges of rehabilitation into the community.  We need to be mindful of how institutionalised veterans can become whilst in service, and that the transition back into the community can be very difficult,” he says.

The findings in this study have important ramifications for how the sector moves forward to improve the mental health and wellbeing of veterans says Professor Wadham from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work.

“The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide (DCDVS) delivers its final report in September and one of the key findings is that the research into defence and veteran trauma and wellbeing lacks diversity in terms of the methods used and the people involved,” says Professor Wadham.

“Our findings demonstrate that Australian research into veteran wellbeing has been limited in scope and is dominated by a focus on diagnostics and treatment at the expense of preventative programs and interventions.

“The sector needs greater diversity and more focus on social determinants that affect veterans’ health and wellbeing such as their social relationships, cultural background and life circumstances.

“Going forward, it’s vital that we listen to the stories and lived experiences of veterans and their families and collaborate with them to create solutions that are based on what they need.

“By doing so, we can help ensure that our veterans receive the support they deserve after serving their country,” Professor Wadham adds.

The article, ‘A Scoping Review of Interventions Targeting the Mental Health of Australian Veterans’ by Ben Wadham, Lisa Andrewartha, Sharon Lawn, Ilke Onur and Laura Catherine Edney has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2024), DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060796

Acknowledgements: The authors greatly acknowledge the contribution of Shannon Brown, research librarian at Flinders University, for developing the extensive search strategy employed.

Open Door Initiative: The Open Door: Understanding and Supporting Service Personnel and their Families research initiative at Flinders University is an Australasian research hub that brings together veterans, scholars and practitioners together around key research, service provision  and policy/legislation initiatives. 

Professor Wadham is Director of The Open Door Initiative.