Veterans’ Health Week this year runs from Monday 24 October until Sunday 30 October, providing an opportunity for veterans, war widows and the general community to celebrate the strengths of Australia’s veteran community and improve awareness and understanding of health and wellbeing issues. A wide range of activities and events will be held across the country – click here to access the official program.

Mental health is a particular focus of this year’s week. The high level of mental health issues amongst the veteran community is often attributed to the horrors and stressors of war – but veterans suffer a much higher level of persistent (chronic) pain than the general community, for a range of reasons including the musculoskeletal impacts of military service. And persistent pain is a well-recognised cause of mental health problems, including suicide.

APMA has been working with veterans, widows and veterans’ organisations, over the last 18 months to raise awareness of the extent and problems of persistent pain. This will be continued during Veterans’ Health Week, with APMA Secretary Elizabeth Carrigan giving a key presentation to the DVA Men’s Peer Health Education Program in Brisbane on ‘Pain Awareness’. APMA has raised these issues with many key veterans’ organisations, including the RSL, the Vietnam Veterans’ Association (VVAA) and the Naval Association – read an article published in the VVAA magazine Debrief.

APMA and the RSL Queensland Branch are currently working on a proposal to develop a  pilot program of community based pain self-management training for veterans, widows and their families in Queensland. The objectives of the proposal are to assist  more productive health practitioner -veteran interactions in relation to pain matters, improve veteran satisfaction and develop more effective pain self-management by the veteran community.

Many Australian veterans and war widows are fortunate to have their medical treatment costs covered by DVA through a White or Gold Card. But this is of limited use if proper pain services do not exist, are in short supply or health providers and GPs do not understand the problem or patients’ needs. APMA is working toward the Australian government (including DVA as a major purchaser of health services) adopting the National Pain Strategy and seriously addressing the challenge of the epidemic of undertreated and mismanaged persistent pain.