Veterans

The Hon. S.L. GAME (16:12): I want to start with an acknowledgement, but not one of country, like we have become accustomed to; I want to begin by acknowledging our veterans, without whose service we would not be on this land. I want to pay my respect to those serving our country, those who have served and those who will serve.

Our veterans are a forgotten group. Even with services allocated to them, their constant struggles are still present. Their mental, physical and emotional health has been impacted. Affordable housing and employment opportunities are not where they need to be. A royal commission is being actioned into these issues, producing an interim report highlighting key problems where improvements have been strongly recommended.

We must improve veterans' current issues and enhance their quality of life now. Long-term physical and mental health conditions are significant issues for Australian veterans, especially depression, PTSD and alcohol dependence. Self-reported data from the 2020-21 National Health Survey revealed that male veterans aged 18 years and above have higher rates of arthritis and back problems, with 33 per cent and 31 per cent respectively, compared to 12 per cent and 19 per cent in non-veterans.

These conditions affect veterans' health and quality of life, emphasising the need for better health care and support services. This government must prioritise veterans' mental and physical wellbeing by allocating sufficient resources to tackle the issue. Timely, appropriate intervention, such as counselling, rehabilitation and medication, should be readily available to veterans. Currently, there is a royal commission into defence and veteran suicide, investigating systemic problems faced by veterans and preventative measures for suicide and suicidality from former members.

The interim report 2022 illustrated the failure of the claim system, employed by the Department of Veterans' Affairs. A claim made by former or current Defence Force members must meet all the requirements of the relevant legislation. Sometimes this is practically impossible. It highlighted the DVA's staff's complexity in assessing claims due to the legislative framework. Historically, poor experiences with claims further deepen the mental health issues amongst veterans, noting that it can be a contributing factor to suicidality.

The current government must investigate this further, as the number of veterans has increased substantially since 2016-17, creating a backlog of claims and exacerbating the problem. The federal government has recognised the need to manage mental disorders such as depression, PTSD, anxiety and alcohol dependence in the veteran community. Studies have shown that veterans have a higher prevalence of risk factors for dementia, including traumatic brain injury, PTSD and major depressive disorder.

From the same NHS study, over a quarter of males aged 18 and above who have ever served in the ADF have a mental or behavioural condition compared to less than 17 per cent of those who have never served. Similarly, 12 per cent of male veterans reported having depression or feeling depressed compared to those who have never served. These figures indicate the need for more focused interventions and support services to address mental health issues among the veteran community to improve their quality of life.

The 2010 ADF Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing study researched the mental health of members of the Australian Defence Force. The study interviewed almost half of the ADF members and found that 17.9 per cent sought help for stress, emotional, mental health or family problems in 12 months. However, there were some concerning statistics surrounding seeking help: 27.6 per cent of members were worried that reporting a mental disorder might lead to differential treatment, while 26.9 per cent feared it could harm their career prospects. The most significant barrier to seeking help was the fear that it would reduce deployability, with 36.9 per cent of members reporting this as their primary concern. These findings indicate that the stigma of seeking help still outweighs the stigma of getting help.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs aims to improve our veterans' quality of life and outcomes. As of 30 June 2021, the DVA provided support to over 189,500 veterans who suffer from injuries or diseases related to their services. To better support veterans in Australia, the government should take several actions: increase funding for mental health support programs, provide additional resources and increase funding for affordable housing programs for veterans. These actions could significantly improve the quality of life for veterans and their families, and better recognise their sacrifices to serve our country.