Mental health service use: comparing people who served in the military or received Veterans' Affairs benefits and the general population.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the lifetime prevalence of affective, anxiety and substance use disorders and the use of mental health services between people who had served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) or received Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) benefits and the general population.


METHODS
The 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing obtained data from a nationally representative household survey of 8,841 respondents.


RESULTS
Fewer than 20% of men who had served in the ADF reported receiving benefits from DVA. ADF men were older and more likely to report poorer health than other men. They were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with any lifetime mental disorder, any affective disorder, depression, PTSD, any substance use and alcohol disorder. Almost 90% of women who received DVA benefits had not served in the ADF. DVA women were older, and more likely to report moderate/severe psychological distress and less life satisfaction than other women. There was no evidence of greater lifetime use of mental health services by ADF men or DVA women compared to the general population.


CONCLUSIONS
Health care providers should ask their patients if they have connections with the military in order to better detect and treat potential mental health problems.
Centre for Australian Military and Veterans' Health, School of Public Health, University of Queensland.
Annabel
A
McGuire
School of Public Health, University of Queensland.
Annette
A
Dobson
Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, St Vincent's Hospital, University of New South Wales.
Louise
L
Mewton
Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
Tracey
T
Varker
Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
David
D
Forbes
Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
Darryl
D
Wade
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
mental health; military service; service use; veterans' support