Navigating mental health risks among Australian military Veterans: Insights for general practice

Introduction: Between 40% and 60% of military Veterans who experience mental health problems are not seeking the formal help they need. However, the use of general practitioner (GP) services by the Veteran population is estimated to be above 85%, indicating the crucial role GPs play in the early identification and treatment of those with mental health problems. This study aims to identify risk factors that contribute to Veterans developing a service-related mental health condition in order to inform GPs, who often serve as Veterans’ primary health care providers.
Methods: Intake questionnaire responses from Veterans seeking advocacy support services from the South Australian Returned & Services League (N = 150) were cross-tabulated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine mental health and physical injury types against the variables of biological sex, discharge, deployment, rank, service length, and support delay.
Results: Short service length, junior rank, being male and voluntarily discharged, and being female and involuntarily medically discharged were associated with an increased risk of developing a mental health condition.
Discussion: Investment by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and health authorities is needed to mitigate the barriers GPs face in developing the military cultural competence to improve the health care provided to the Veteran population and minimize missed opportunities for early intervention.