Abstract

Identification and treatment of mental illness in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) community is a clear public, government and organisational issue. Timely access to mental health treatment is a critical goal of Defence and veteran mental health policy to reduce the impact of illness on ADF members and their families. Yet, despite an estimated $187 million per year spent on mental health programs and services for ADF members and veterans, the Australian Government continue to grapple with hidden and unmet mental health need in this community and are increasingly looking towards innovative solutions to address these issues.

Helen’s thesis explores the potential role of e-mental health in support of early identification and self-management of mental health in the ADF. Using data drawn from a cross-sectional study investigating the mental and physical health of current and recently transitioned ADF members, her research examines help-seeking beliefs, mental health service use and reach of e-mental health resources in the ADF community. She also explores the intersection between e-mental health, face-to-face care and self-managed mental health. Helen will discuss the findings from her research and implications for Defence and veteran mental health policies and programs.

About Helen

Helen is a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar and PhD Candidate at the Centre for Mental Health Research, where she is supervised by Prof Phil Batterham (ANU), Prof Bryan Rodgers (ANU) and Prof David Forbes (Phoenix Australia, Uni Melb). Prior to beginning her PhD, Helen worked for over 15 years in the Australian Department of Defence in mental health policy and psychology research. In her previous role, Helen was responsible for the coordination of strategic mental health research within Defence and managed the delivery of a number of influential research projects, including the Longitudinal ADF Study Evaluating Resilience and the ADF Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study.