Benefits and Employment and Care for Peer Support Staff in the Veteran Community: A Rapid Narrative Literature Review
C Deans Abstract Background: Veteran services increasingly use peers to support other veterans. There are hypothesised benefits for the service users, service system and peers. Purpose: This rapid narrative literature review sought recommendations for the employment of veteran peers via related reviews: one on the use of mental health peers, and one on the use […]
Adjunct Activities for Mental Health Improvements for Veterans
T Watt, E Kehoe Abstract The disruptive and at times traumatic nature of military service can create mental health issues among veterans. Wounded, injured or ill personnel, even if their physical and psychological rehabilitation goes well, can experience an acute loss of purpose and structure that is provided during their military service, especially post-discharge. It […]
Evaluation of the Online, Peer Delivered ‘Post War: Survive to Thrive Program’ for Veterans with Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Abstract Background: Veterans frequently report barriers to accessing and adhering to first-line treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Online delivery of an evidence-based intervention by a peer-developed program may aid in overcoming these barriers. Purpose: This study evaluated the ‘Post War: Survive to Thrive Program’, an online, peer developed and delivered program, designed to assist […]
Homeless Indigenous Veterans and the Current Gaps in Knowledge: The State of the Literature
J Serrato, H Hassan, C Forchuk Background & purpose: The unique experiences of homelessness for Indigenous Veterans are currently understudied. The purpose of this review was to assess the current literature on homelessness among Indigenous Veterans, to identify the gaps in the existing knowledge base and to provide an insight into future research. Materials & […]
The Effects of the Incompatible “Soldier” Identity Upon Depression in Former Australian Army Personnel
M Kreminski, M Barry, M Platow In recent years, there has been a concerted effort by social psychologists to link the social identity approach with general health and well-being. The research, however, has overlooked that a strong and enduring identity that is incompatible with an individual’s current environment may have a negative effect upon that […]
Eye in the sky: Understanding the mental health of unmanned aerial vehicle operators.
D Wallace, J Costello Abstract Background: Recent conflicts in the Middle East have seen rapid developments in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The Australian Government plans to acquire a number of UAVs to perform a range of operations. Purpose: To determine whether UAV operators are exposed to greater or special risks to their […]
Effects of deployment on mental health in modern military forces: A review of longitudinal studies
Abstract Background. Earlier studies presenting evidence that operational deployment negatively affects mental health outcomes among military personnel and veterans generally have lacked conclusiveness, largely because of cross-sectional or retrospective design. Purpose. To review longitudinal studies investigating mental health outcomes of military personnel deployed in recent conflicts. Methods. MEDLINE database was searched using relevant keywords and […]