From military service to civilian life: addressing the challenges 

Addressing the hidden and often complex challenges faced by military veterans and serving personnel, particularly during transition into and out of military service, is crucial to ensuring they succeed, thrive and flourish.

Working in partnership with military veterans, serving members of the military, policy makers and the wider defence sector, Flinders University’s multi-disciplinary research hub, the Open Door Initiative, is leading important research to understand and identify factors that contribute to the challenges they face. The research also aims to drive institutional reform and provide support for those with lived experience.

The human cost paid by Australian Military Veterans is high, particularly once they leave service.  Between 1997 and 2020, 1,677 Australian veterans committed suicide, a figure 27 per cent higher than the normal population for males, and 107 per cent more for females.

This tragedy has been highlighted by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, which has found that Australia falls short of providing necessary support for the care and wellbeing of military veterans, particularly regarding their health, housing, education and employment.

The team at Open Door is led by Professor Ben Wadham, a veteran himself, but includes researchers with expertise from multiple research fields, including sociology, psychology, social work, health sciences and archaeology.

Data gives crucial insights

The Flinders Open Door researchers have published a report identifying the need for independent scrutiny to ensure that the Australian Defence Force meets wider community standards of responsibility to care and support the health and wellbeing of all its members.

“Our report explores how and why some ex-service personnel reach points of despair and suicidality, while others find resilience and hope in their lives,” said Open Door Director, Professor Ben Wadham.

“We found that the process of transitioning into and out of the military service, as well as deployment itself, can lead to self-harm and suicidality.” 

The Veteran Suicide Study 1914-2022 identifies an urgent need for cultural reform within the Australian Defence Force to address existing failures that can lead to veteran distress and suicide. This is coupled with the need for stronger and more effective support during, and after, transition from active service.

Open Door researchers are now developing a survey to bolster this longitudinal study by creating a health and wellbeing database to provide further understanding of veteran suicide and distress.

The survey’s whole-of-life approach, which records personal circumstances leading to veteran suicides, will provide a dataset for the Australian Defence Force, the Department of Defence and Department of Veteran’s Affairs to better inform policy, reduce veteran suicide and improve wellbeing.

Personalising therapy to resolve trauma

Traumas faced by Australian military personnel and first responders can lead to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), resulting in major social, emotional, health and economic costs to individuals and their families. There are also larger costs to society with PTSD affecting productivity and public health budgets.

Effective treatment of PTSD is challenging due to its complexity. Existing psychological therapies for PTSD have varied success rates, with between 40 per cent and 64 per cent of participants still having a PTSD diagnosis by the end of their treatment.

Open Door researchers have devised a better solution by personalising the therapy techniques in a more flexible program to address PTSD and other mental health issues. 

“The combination of personalising our therapy approach and increasing people’s willingness to participate in therapy is a key to the success of the new flexible therapy program,” explains Professor Reg Nixon, Open Door Initiative’s Director of Clinical Research.

“Our higher-than-typical level of therapy completion shows 85.7 per cent of participants completed treatment – and more than 95per cent of participants noted a significant reduction in PTSD and depression symptoms.

“If we can improve existing treatments for another 10-15 per cent of Australians with PTSD, we will improve the lives of 50,000 to 75,000 people a year.”

An important next step is to train more clinicians on how to use flexible PTSD therapy, and Open Door researchers have published a guide to help clinicians use modified therapies to improve outcomes for people with PTSD. 

“It’s improving existing therapies, and it’s having a significant impact on people who need our help,” says Professor Nixon.

Providing a pathway to the future

Access to education is fundamental in helping veterans to build a stable life after leaving the Defence forces. To facilitate this, Open Door founded a 12-week Military Academic Pathway Program (MAPP) that provides a foundation course for younger veterans, teaching them essential study skills including academic writing, referencing, critical thinking, effective communication and numeracy skills to guide their entry pathway to university and expose participants to different degree pathways and opportunities.  

The success of this program led to a national study of veteran experiences at Australian universities, with MAPP providing a model to help raise the level and standard of student veteran support.

Open Door also investigates Aboriginal veteran engagement in higher education and developed a plan to improve their access to and participation in post-secondary education, leading to positive employment outcomes. 

Project Warhorse  

Results already achieved by the Open Door Initiative have enabled Flinders to create exciting projects for veterans to be involved in. Flinders has played a key role in pioneering Project Warhorse, a unique partnership with the Defence Force Welfare Association that is helping veterans transition into civilian life.

As the first of its kind in Australia, Project Warhorse has seen veterans join an archaeological dig at Glenthorne National Park in the southern Adelaide suburb of O’Halloran Hill. This area was previously home to the No.9 Remount Depot, where more than 18,000 horses were trained before being sent overseas during World War I, and this archaeological project connects veterans to a fresh exploration of Australia’s wartime history.

An interdisciplinary team working at the site brings together experts from archaeology, anthropology, history, mental health, sociology, education and military studies, and establishes a new framework for veteran support in Australia through providing hands-on experience in surveying, excavation, artefact processing and mapping. It’s a new way to provide access to skills that can assist their transition from service to civilian life.