Fed: Mentally ill veterans failed by system, inquiry finds
30 Mar 2009 2:36 AM
About 10 per cent of diggers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will have long-term mental problems .. including post traumatic stress disorder.
An inquiry commissioned by the federal government has found most Aussie veterans with trauma-related mental illness return home to inadequate care.
The inquiry has called for an urgent review of programs dealing with the condition .. saying there's little doubt levels of PTSD are elevated in Australian veterans.
Defence's former chief psychiatrist LEN LAMBETH has told Fairfax and the ABC's Four Corners program adequate support for mentally ill veterans is at least a year away.
The inquiry .. into suicides in the ex-service community .. has found the departments of Defence and Veterans' Affairs fail soldiers who have been discharged with mental health issues.
Fairfax reports affected veterans include those who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan .. with about 10 per cent expected to have long-term mental problems .. including PTSD.
AAP RTV jrd/rs/psm/
