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 […]
Psychotropic Polypharmacy in Australian Vietnam War Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Descriptive Cohort Study
R Theal, S McLeay, J Gibson, B Lawford, R Mellor Abstract Background: Pharmacological management of complex psychological conditions and physical comorbidities in Vietnam veterans can be challenging, particularly when there are multiple prescribing clinicians. Purpose: To investigate the incidence of psychotropic polypharmacy in a cohort of Australian Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: […]
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Killing in Combat: A Review of Existing Literature
Abstract Background: Killing during combat is a unique experience and, for the majority, is limited to military service. For those working with military and veteran populations, it is essential to be able to understand this experience and any psychological ramifications. Purpose: This review provides a synthesis of existing literature, addressing the specific question: what is […]
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 […]
Disability Reporting Among U.S. Immigrant Veterans: Findings and Implications
Abstract Background: This preliminary study offers the first health-related assessment of United States (US) immigrant veterans, who comprise a population of more than 500 000. It builds upon research showing that a number of variables relate to veterans’ health experiences, including race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Purpose: To assess levels of disability reporting among foreign-born […]
Systematic Review of The Impact of Deployment on Respiratory Function of Contemporary International and Australian Veterans’
H Ighani, E Lawrence-Wood, SJ Neuhaus, A McFarlane Abstract Current international literature suggests a higher prevalence of respiratory conditions in military personnel during and following deployment to the Middle East for reasons that are not well understood. Therefore, a systematic review of research into the impacts of deployment on respiratory function among international and Australian […]
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 & […]
Combat, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Health of Australian Vietnam Veteran Conscripts and Volunteers in the Three Decades After Return
B O’Toole, K Pierse, B Friedrich, S Outram, M Dadds, S Catts Introduction Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam conflict from 1962 until troop withdrawal in 1972,1 placed Australians into longer periods of risk of contact with an enemy than at any time in Australia’s history since Gallipoli.2 The Australian Force Vietnam increased in size in […]
Analgesic use in Vietnam Veterans’ with Musculoskeletal Pain
Analgesic use in Vietnam Veterans’ with Musculoskeletal Pain Lisa Kalisch Ellett, Nicole Pratt, Elizabeth Roughead Abstract Background: International studies suggest that high-dose opioid use is more common in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than those without in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Purpose: This article aims to examine the use of analgesics by […]
Gulf War Illness in the 1991 Gulf War and Gulf Era Veteran Population: An Application of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kansas Case Definitions to Historical Data
E Dursa, S Barth, B Porter, A Schneiderman Introduction In the initial years following the 1990–1991 Gulf War, reports of a complex array of medically unexplained symptoms began to emerge among US Gulf War veterans.1,2 This cluster of symptoms, which included fatigue, pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, dermatological symptoms, neurological symptoms and cognitive symptoms,3-9 collectively […]