Veterans’ health
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Unit 602
March 2023
The purspose of this edition of check is to educate the GP in their role of caring for the physical and mental health and wellbeing of veterans to ensure they and their families/carers have the appropriate healthcare support following service in the ADF.
There are more than 600,000 ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The ABS 2014–15 National Health Survey estimated that 90% of those who have served in the ADF had consulted a general practitioner (GP) in the last 12 months. Australian GPs are therefore ideally placed to help veterans and those transitioning out of the ADF to fully re-engage with the civilian primary healthcare system and Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) services, and are more likely to achieve better healthcare outcomes.
In 2017–18, 48% of male veterans considered themselves to be in excellent or very good health compared with 56% of those who had never served in the ADF. Twenty-two per cent of males who had served in the ADF had a mental or behavioural condition compared with 18% of those who had never served.
Specific health and wellbeing issues affecting the veteran and ex-service community following transition from the ADF include:
The 2015 Mental Health and Wellbeing Transition Study identified patterns of healthcare among current serving and recently transitioned ADF personnel and estimated that 64% of recently transitioned and 52% of serving ADF members had had mental health concerns during their lifetime. Of these members, around three in four (both transitioned and current serving) received assistance for their mental health.
Of the recently transitioned members who were concerned about their mental health and sought assistance, 38% had consulted a GP in the last 12 months.
At the end of this activity, participants will be able to:
Dakota, aged 22 years, presents to your clinic requesting a referral for residential rehabilitation to address his drinking. You have seen him once before as a teenager at the local emergency department for stitches after he stood on broken glass.
Ellie, aged 92 years, is a long-term patient of your practice. She typically saw your colleague, but you have taken over her general practice care since your colleague retired. Ellie is a sprightly and active war widow. Her husband, Bert, a Korean war veteran, died many years ago, and since then, Ellie has held a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Gold Card.
Trinh, aged 48 years, presents with right knee pain, with worse pain at night and in cold weather. His knee pain is dull and aching. He has had sharp pain in his right knee when going down stairs, along with occasional spontaneous swelling of the knee.
Nikola, aged 32 years, presents to your general practice clinic complaining of suicidal thoughts, tiredness, insomnia and being ‘at the end of her tether’. She has episodes of palpitations and panic attacks.
This unit of check is approved for 10 hours of CPD activity (two hours per case). The 10 hours, when completed, including the online questions, comprise five hours’ Educational Activities and five hours’ Reviewing Performance.
To enroll in this check unit online:
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Each unit of check comprises approximately five clinical cases, and the choice of cases will cover the broad spectrum of the unit’s topic. Each unit will be led by a GP with an interest and capability in the topic, and they will scope the five different cases for that unit in collaboration with the check team.