The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) welcomes the final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. AIFS' extensive research over many years into issues impacting Defence and veteran families supports several of the Commission's recommendations.
In particular, AIFS research aligns with the Commission's Chapter 6: Families, data and research, and establishing a new entity - focussing on the "critical role the family unit can play in supporting serving and ex-serving members to be mentally healthy and resilient."
A 2016 AIFS study commissioned by the Department of Defence, and quoted in the Royal Commission's report, The Role of the Family in the Australian Defence Force Member's Rehabilitation found that family support was a key influence on the wellbeing of seriously injured or ill individuals - including practical care, emotional support, and maintaining the member's social, domestic and family life.
Senior Manager, Defence and Veteran Family Research, at AIFS, Dr Jody Hughes, welcomed the Royal Commission's strong focus on family wellbeing.
'Some elements of military life - such as long work hours, stressful work environments and frequent relocations - impact on families and can contribute to poor mental health of members. Veterans can also feel the impacts of this long after serving,' Dr Hughes said.
'Support from family, friends and significant others is one of the most important protective factors for member mental health and wellbeing - so it's critical that we deeply understand the needs of family members, and support members and veterans to maintain healthy and stable relationships.'
AIFS has conducted many studies over years relevant to veteran mental health and wellbeing, and the Commission's findings, including five recent reports:
- Research report: Strengthening Defence and veteran couple relationships through relationship education (2023)
- Commissioned report: Intimate Partner Violence among current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel and families: Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme Data Analyses (led by Associate Professor Sean Cowlishaw, previously at Phoenix Australia) (2023)
- Three research reports: Family Wellbeing Study (2018)
AIFS supports the Commission's Recommendation 121 calling for AIFS, along with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, "to be funded to collaborate and leverage existing datasets and the National Veterans' Data Asset to develop a better understanding of veteran families through research on wellbeing and risk and protective factors."
Dr Hughes welcomed the opportunity for strengthened collaboration between government agencies with expertise in data and research involving Defence and veteran families. 'There are many organisations doing important research in this space, each with their own unique strengths and expertise,' Dr Hughes said.
'Collaboration between research organisations - and also with people with lived experience, whose experiences and views are essential to this work - is critical if we are to uncover what works for serving members, veterans and their families to thrive,' Dr Hughes said.
AIFS is currently conducting other research projects to support Defence and veteran families. This includes developing a framework to monitor and evaluate supports for families, exploring the needs of veterans in aged care - and investigating unpaid carers, including those who support members and veterans, as part of the Australian Government's National Carer Strategy.
