Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about mental health issues within the veterans community. Many veterans and their families face mental health issues, and there has been a growing awareness and acceptance of the reality of these sorts of problems. A range of conditions can and do manifest themselves and they can have a devastating impact. Depression and family breakdown are not unusual and, in the most tragic of circumstances, violence and suicide can be the end result.

Dr Kristy Muir, in her paper titled Living in a citadel: the participation of mentally ill war veterans in Australian society, writes:

Mental illness may have a profound affect on an individual’s ability to fully participate in society. This is especially evident in the lives of Australian war veterans, who are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses than their civilian counterparts. As a result of their symptoms, mentally ill veterans often face difficulty functioning economically, domestically and socially. Some cannot cope in the civilian workforce, they have great difficulty maintaining relationships, and they socially isolate themselves, both physically and geographically.

Professor Hedley Peach, a medical epidemiologist who has worked on a series of key studies into the health of veterans, has also acknowledged the current and possible future mental health problems facing the veterans community. In the Medical Observer Weekly on 6 October, he said that veterans can suffer from psychological trauma, face an increased risk of some cancers, and smoke and drink at dangerous levels. He said, ‘Veterans and their partners are possibly approaching retirement with a greater prevalence of mental/physical health problems than the general population,’ and ‘It is a fair assumption that their health will deteriorate faster than the health of their contemporaries.’

There is no doubt that mental health is a widespread problem within the community. Statistics from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs reveal that there are 52,473 veterans with a mental health accepted disability. While this number is high, it should be noted that it includes only those who have approached DVA and who have had their condition recognised. It does not account for those whose mental illness is still unrecognised.

I also want to make the point today that veterans from all conflicts suffer from these problems. Mental illness is often seen by the wider community as a Vietnam War phenomenon. There is no doubt that this war left psychological scars, but so have other conflicts, such as World War II, the Korean War, Iraq, Rwanda and many others. This is a problem that faces all veterans. It is also a problem that faces veterans’ partners and children. Too often they have to bear the heavy burden of the veteran’s service, sometimes resulting in mental illness. This is often underrecognised in the Australian community.

Given wide community concern about the huge unmet need in the general community relating to mental health, the government brought forward a $1.9 billion package in the last budget. This was an important step in the right direction. However, in the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio only some $20 million in new expenditure was promised. Approximately $130 million is currently expended annually in DVA on mental health issues, but I find it quite unbelievable that, with a $1.9 billion package to address current unmet demand, only $20 million is allocated to the needs of veterans.

In response to questions at estimates, the department has now revealed that it is not funding any new programs with this $20 million. Instead, it is expanding the programs it already has in place, including the Heart Health program, the Changing the Mix program and the Stepping Out program. Whilst this is welcome, I would have thought that the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs could have taken the opportunity to introduce some new programs for the department, given the importance of this area. I was also astounded to learn that of this allocated $20 million, just over $5 million is being set aside for administration. Given that this money is not being used to fund any new programs, I cannot understand why the department needed $5 million for administration costs. I think the minister should look at this again.

We need more than this. We need creative and innovative solutions to the problems. We need more action and substance and less bureaucracy and administration when it comes to these issues. I know it is argued that veterans can access services provided to the wider community as part of that $1.9 billion, but I cannot help but feel that the particular needs of veterans will not be catered for in many general service delivery options. The sorts of traumatic experiences suffered in the service of our country by our veterans create particular problems needing specialist services.

I note that the department, in its annual report this year, has foreshadowed further training in mental health literacy for health service providers and staff within the DVA environment. This is a measure that I wholeheartedly welcome and support. It is extremely important that GPs are given education in the specifics of mental health for veterans. I have argued previously that the department needs to improve its communication strategies. The programs that are currently running and the support that is available within the department are often of a high quality, yet they are often woefully underutilised. The minister needs to ensure that the information is getting out there. I think that one of the problems is that often information about these programs is provided only to people who already are diagnosed with a problem. We need to get this information out into the community to as many sources as possible, so that people can start to recognise and spot problems and, if they do, be aware of the support that is available to them. This is about being proactive and raising awareness rather than reacting.

The government needs to realise the importance of outreach programs. I do not think this is being achieved, which can be seen by a breakdown of figures relating to DVA’s mental health expenditure. In 2001-02, DVA spent $400,000 on its publicity and awareness campaigns for mental health. Since then, it has spent $100,000 in 2002-03, $300,000 in 2003-04, and $200,000 in 2004-05. Out of a budget of $130 million for mental health, we have seen only a relatively small amount spent on awareness campaigns. More should be done and spent on awareness and prevention strategies. If the department has quality programs, it should be advertising them and making sure they are fully utilised. It should also be adopting programs that encourage preventative strategies so that we can avoid some of the more tragic results of mental illness. I want to finish with a quote from Dr Muir:

The social inclusion of mentally ill veterans can only be achieved if the veterans’ illnesses are identified and sufficiently treated. Official recognition is a significant part of this process. While government policy has significantly changed over the last two decades with regard to the mental health of service personnel and veterans, it is still dominated by a history of parsimony and suspicion. Thus, the majority of mentally ill Australian war veterans receive neither compensation nor adequate treatment, and remain largely excluded from our society.

Her point is clear: we can do better, and we should do better.