Mental health service use: Comparing people who served in the military or received Veterans' Affairs benefits and the general population

Abstract

Objectives: 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. Method: 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..