More Research Needed Into the Health of Families of Vietnam Veterans
Australia should develop a broad strategy for research into the effect of war service on veterans' families, following the revelation in a 1998 survey that Vietnam veterans reported a high prevalence of health problems in their families.
Author of the Medical Journal of Australia article, Hedley Peach, Visiting Consultant at the Ballarat Base Hospital, and Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne, said the 1998 survey of 40 000 Vietnam veterans confirmed a higher prevalence of accidental deaths and suicide among the children of Vietnam veterans, than was the Australian norm.
Professor Peach made the comments following a commitment by the Minister for Veterans Affairs to investigate how the children of Vietnam veterans could be further supported. He said the strategy should look at families as a whole.
"Data about the effect of our veterans' war service on the health of their families are quite limited," Professor Hedley said.
"These data are mainly from the Vietnam and Gulf wars. They cover veterans, partners and children independently and largely focus on the individuals' medical conditions and risk factors.
"Australia should develop a broad research strategy that uses a wider definition of health, looks at veterans' families as a whole, and does so from a range of perspectives, including sociological, life-course and trans-generational perspectives.
"We need to know how the health of veterans' children and grandchildren relates to that of the veterans and their parents," he said.
Professor Peach said research across generations in Australia has focused on congenital malformations and other reproductive problems and whether they could have been caused by exposure to chemicals.
"However, research on the possibility of a veteran's behaviour being transmitted to his or her children, and from children to grandchildren has been neglected," he said.
"Preventive research should be emphasised, especially into enhancing resilience of veterans' families.
"There has been no research into why some veterans' families are more resilient than others.
Professor Peach said the Australian Government's Sons and Daughters Project aimed to reduce suicide risk by increasing personal strengths, coping skills, resilience and access to care, but only 2 per cent of children use the service.
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.