TCR: Serving and Ex-Serving Australian Defence Force Members Mental Health and Wellbeing 2026

Overview

In response to the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, the Australian Government has committed $10 million through the NHMRC to support high-quality research into the health and wellbeing of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members. This TCR aims to generate high-quality evidence and develop practical, implementable actions to improve mental and physical health and promote wellbeing among serving and ex-serving ADF members, with consideration given to the impact on their support networks, including family, dependants and carers. The objectives of this TCR are to facilitate research that: •            Focuses on translation and implementation, with actions and methods that can be adopted by mainstream community health services. •            Targets prevention and early intervention strategies that improve long-term health outcomes and builds the evidence base for scalable and implementable programs and/or strategies that aim to improve holistic and functional outcomes throughout the patient journey. •            Promotes collaborative and multidisciplinary research approaches that recognise the complex and intersecting physical and mental health needs of serving and ex-serving ADF members, and ways to improve these through prevention and early intervention. The expected outcomes of this TCR are to: •            Support the development and implementation of programs, policies and activities that prevent suicidality, suicidal distress and acute mental health crises among serving and ex-serving ADF members, while optimising treatment, and improving equitable access to care services. •            Address the intersection of complex mental and physical health conditions and the needs of serving and ex-serving ADF members through collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to care.