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Recognising and responding to suicide risk in Australian veterans: a guide for GPs
This article equips GPs with practical strategies to recognise and assess suicide risk in Australian veterans. It outlines tools to support your consultation and assessment, and highlights referral pathways such as Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling and DVA services to support early intervention and save lives in general practice.
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Best-practice treatment of depression no longer considers pharmacotherapy as the default first-line therapy for many patients. In this FastTrack activity, you will update your knowledge of evidence-based interventions for major depression, including when to consider medications and when to cease them. Complete the quiz to receive 30mins EA and 30mins RP CPD.
As veterans transition from military service, they often face significant mental health challenges, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and adjustment difficulties. Managing these complex conditions requires a holistic, long-term approach, and general practitioners (GPs) are in a unique position to support veterans not only through referrals to mental health specialists but also through evidence-based lifestyle interventions that promote resilience and recovery.
Explore patient-centred strategies for managing antidepressant use in older adults using the mnemonic CARE as a framework for effective decision-making, monitoring, and deprescribing. Learn how the Quality Use of Medicines Alliance promotes safer, tailored approaches to mental health management in older populations.
A person's health and wellbeing are influenced by socioeconomic characteristics – for veterans, these may be influenced by factors relating to their unique experiences of ADF service and transition back to civilian life.
What health issues are you likely to encounter in your veterans? Veterans present with the same types of conditions seen in all Australians, albeit often at an earlier age and with
Veteran mental illness can stem from military service experiences. PTSD, depression, anxiety and substance abuse are some of the outcomes experienced by veterans. These issues are exacerbated by reintegration challenges and perceived lack of support.
Veterans’ health may seem complicated but veterans suffer from the same conditions as other Australians, albeit often at an earlier age due to the interaction of several factors and changes that occur across the course of military life, from enlistment to retirement.