Table 1
Search String.
| # | FIELD(S) | SEARCH TERM(S) APPLIED TO TITLE (TI) OR ABSTRACT (AB) FIELDS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TI OR AB | (Australia*) |
| 2 | TI OR AB | (military AND veteran*) OR (ex-servi*) |
| 3 | TI OR AB | (barrier* OR challenge* OR difficulties OR difficulty OR issue* OR problem* OR obstacle*) |
| 4 | / | #1 AND #2 AND #3 |
| 5 | LIMIT | year = 2013–2024 |
| 6 | LIMIT | academic journals only |
| 7 | / | Exported/duplicates removed |
Table 2
Number of Returns for Database Search.
| DATABASE | HITS |
|---|---|
| CINAHL | 9 |
| JBI EBP Database (Ovid) | 12 |
| MEDLINE (Ovid) | 24 |
| PsycINFO (Ovid) | 95 |
| PubMed | 115 |
| Scopus | 75 |
| Web of Science | 163 |
| Grey literature (reports): | |
| Google Scholar | 16 |
| Total | 509 |
[i] Note. Original search was run on 28 September 2023, updated on 5 December 2023 and again on 10 April 2024.
Figure 1
PRISMA Flow Diagram of the Selection of Studies.
Note. Adapted from Covidence Systematic Review Software (Veritas Health Innovation Limited, 2022).
Table 3
Summary of Included Studies.
| CITATION | STUDY FORMAT (METHODOLOGY) | SAMPLE | STUDY AIM | QUALITY ASSESSMENT | BARRIERS IDENTIFIED: | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMPLEXITY AND POOR SERVICE COORDINATION | ACCESSIBILITY | EMPLOYMENT AND TRANSFERABILITY OF MILITARY SKILLS | AWARENESS OF AVAILABLE SERVICES AND RESOURCES | |||||
| Aspen Foundation, 2016 | Report (Mapping) | – | To assess the needs of veterans and their families, map ESO focus and services, and identify gaps or overlaps within the sector. | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Becker et al., 2022 | Article (Qualitative/interviews) | n = 31 Ex-serving ADF veterans | To identify ways for human resource management professionals to improve veteran integration and retention in a civilian workplace. | Moderate | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carra et al., 2023 | Article (Qualitative/interviews) | n = 10 Ex-serving ADF veterans | To explore rural veterans’ experiences of participating in occupations and its influence on their health and adjustment. | Strong | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cornall, 2018 | Report (Scoping) | – | To examine the range of advocacy and welfare services available to veterans and their families. | – | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Daraganova, Smart, & Romaniuk, 2018 | Report (Mixed Method/survey) | n = 8,490 Currently serving ADF members n = 4,337 Ex-serving ADF veterans n = 2,573 Family members | An examination of the health and well-being of family members associated with current and former ADF personnel, accompanied by a comparative analysis. | Moderate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Forbes & Metcalf, 2014 | Article (Descriptive) | - | An overview of veteran mental health care delivery. | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Forbes et al., 2018 | Report (Qualitative/interviews and survey) | n = 20,031 Currently serving ADF members n = 4,326 Ex-serving ADF veterans Mixed sub-sample = 1,384 | To assess pathways to care for ex-serving veterans and Regular ADF members, including those with a probable 30-day mental disorder. | Moderate | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Lawn et al., 2022 | Article (Qualitative/interviews) | n = 25 Family members of ADF veterans and emergency service first responders. Note. n = 14 of the sample had also served. | To examine how families experience supporting veterans and emergency services first responders in accessing mental health care, and to explore the significance of these interactions. | Strong | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Maguire et al., 2022 | Article (Qualitative/focus group and interviews) | n = 18 Frontline service providers n = 16 Family members of veterans | To gather detailed information on the complex needs of veteran families and explore experiences of accessing and navigating the veterans’ support system. | Strong | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Muir, 2018 | Report (Cross-sectional) | n = 25 Family members of veterans | To explore family strategies in managing transition into civilian life. | Strong | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Productivity Commission, 2019a | Report (Descriptive) | – | To assess the benefits and impacts of the veteran support system on the lives of veterans. | – | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Productivity Commission, 2019b | Report (Descriptive) | – | To assess the benefits and impacts of the veteran support system on the lives of veterans. | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Romaniuk et al., 2023 | Article (Qualitative/interviews) | n = 35 Ex-serving ADF veterans (interviews) | To examine post-discharge civilian employment challenges for Australian military veterans. | Moderate | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ross, Prguda & Setchell, 2023 | Article (Qualitative/interviews and survey) | n = 93 Ex-serving ADF veterans | To identify veterans’ experiences of healthcare, including challenges in transitioning to the civilian healthcare system. | Moderate | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, 2023 | Report (Descriptive) | – | The inquiry is underpinned by the objective to enhance the lifetime well-being for serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families. | – | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Van Hooff et al., 2019 | Report (Quantitative/survey) | n = 4,324 Ex-serving ADF veterans | To offer a nationwide veteran homelessness estimate and analyse homelessness characteristics among former ADF members. | Moderate | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |