Living in a citadel: the participation of mentally ill war veterans in Australian society
Kristy Muir
The Smith Family
Contact Email:   mareeuow.edu.au

Mental illness can have a profound affect on an individual’s ability to fully participate in society. This is especially evident in the lives of Australian war veterans, who are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses than their civilian counterparts. As a result of their symptoms, mentally ill veterans often have difficulty functioning economically, domestically and socially. They cannot cope in the civilian workforce, they have great difficult maintaining relationships and they socially isolate themselves, both physically and geographically.

The social inclusion of mentally ill veterans can only be achieved if veterans’ illnesses are identified and properly treated. Official recognition is an important part of this process. While government policy has significantly changed over the last two decades in regard to the mental health of service personnel and veterans, it is still dominated by a parsimonious and suspicious history. The majority of mentally ill Australian war veterans receive neither compensation nor adequate treatment and, as a result, their symptoms stay with them and these veterans remain socially excluded.

Paper Download Information (if available):

Paper246.pdf

Copyright © 2003 Social Policy Research Centre.