Explainer: How healthy is the Australian veteran population?
These four graphs show that current and ex-serving Defence personnel have poorer health than the general population.
By Lachlan Haycock
The following helplines are designed specifically for veterans and the family members of veterans:
- Open Arms 24-hour Support Line (1800 011 046)
- Australian Defence Force (ADF) All Hours Support Line (1800 628 036)
- Defence Family Helpline (1800 624 608)
Other general helplines include:
- Lifeline 24/7 Crisis Support (13 11 14)
- Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467)
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has provided greater insights to help RSL NSW in prioritising the health and wellbeing of veterans and families.
Veterans, both those who have transitioned out of Defence and those who are currently serving, are:
- At a higher risk of suicide and self-harm
- More likely to be hospitalised for mental health-related care
- More likely to need assistance with core activities than non-veterans
- In the case of male veterans, at a higher risk of long-term health conditions
These factors help to drive health expenditure that is higher for veterans than for non-veterans in the Australian population.
Let’s take a closer look at how the numbers stack up.
Long-term health conditions
Male veterans reported a higher prevalence of several long-term health conditions than male non-veterans, which may be because of the older age of the Australian veteran population, according to 2021 Census data analysed by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Male veterans are also less likely to rate their health as excellent or very good than men who had never served in Defence.
Core-activity assistance and disability
According to self-reported data from the 2020–21 National Health Survey, almost two in five (37 per cent) male veterans had a disability that limits or restricts their mobility or communication. One in five (20 per cent) had a disability but with no limitation or restriction.
These proportions were around twice as high as non-veteran males (17 per cent and 12 per cent respectively).
Veterans are more likely than non-veterans to need assistance with core activities due to a long-term health condition or disability, according to the AIHW. Core activities include self-care, body movement and communication.
Among the 496,000 veterans aged 15 years and over (as captured by the 2021 Census), 13 per cent require assistance with core activities.
Mental health and suicide
A higher prevalence of long-term health conditions and a greater need for assistance with core activities are matched by a markedly higher rate of suicide than the general population.
The below table outlines the leading causes of death in permanent, Reserve and ex-serving men from 1997–2022, compared with the general population.
Permanent and Reserve females were not included in the AIHW report due to small numbers when disaggregated by age group.
Suicide is also the leading cause of death for men and women aged 30-39, regardless of whether someone is a veteran or not. For female veterans under 30 (44 per cent), the rate is twice that of non-veterans (22 per cent).
Male veterans who have served for less than one year are at a higher risk of suicide. A service length of more than 20 years sees the rate drop to below 20 per 100,000 population, less than half the rate for those who have served for less than one year.
Read a more detailed exploration of the rates of suicide among current and ex-serving Defence personnel.
What does this all mean?
The relatively poor health of those in the veteran community makes the work of RSL sub-Branches and our charity partner RSL LifeCare Veteran Services vitally important to support veterans and their loved ones.
Your first port of call to access support, services, mateship and camaraderie is your local RSL sub-Branch.
Veterans and their families can access essential support and services at the statewide network of Veteran and Family Hubs, run by RSL LifeCare Veteran Services with the support of RSL NSW.
The map below depicts the locations of all current and planned Veteran and Family Hubs operated in NSW by RSL LifeCare Veteran Services. This includes future locations in the Tweed-North Coast, Queanbeyan, Hunter and Hawkesbury regions.
Sources:
- Health of veterans, October 2024, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- National Health Survey, December 2023, Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members who have served since 1985: suicide monitoring 1997 to 2021, November 2023, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
RSL NSW is committed to providing essential support and services to veterans and their families. Contact your local RSL sub-Branch to access support, services, mateship and camaraderie.
