Australian Vietnam Veterans Health Study: Cohort Wave 2
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$575,250.00
Summary
Military records show that Australia has committed troops to war since the time of the Boer War, continuing commitments through World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Malaya Emergency, the Vietnam Conflict, the Gulf War, and numerous peacekeeping operations across the world, yet there has never been an epidemiological cohort study that tracked the path of their health and their lives after their return. This study will provide an approximate 10-year followup of an established cohort of Austral ....Military records show that Australia has committed troops to war since the time of the Boer War, continuing commitments through World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Malaya Emergency, the Vietnam Conflict, the Gulf War, and numerous peacekeeping operations across the world, yet there has never been an epidemiological cohort study that tracked the path of their health and their lives after their return. This study will provide an approximate 10-year followup of an established cohort of Australian Vietnam veterans, which was the first such study ever conducted of returned Australian servicemen. It will test diagnostic stability and chart the trajectory of health and welfare over time in the men and relate this to possible causal determinants including military service, combat deployment and trauma exposure, post traumatic stress disorder and alcohol disorders. It will also allow us to examine the role of their previous health state, determined 10 years ago, in relation to their current health state. Data and methodology from the Australian Bureau of Statistics national surveys on physical and mental health will be incorporated so that comparisons can be made with Australian population data for the study group. Significantly, wave 1 preceded automatic compensation for veterans for cancer and PTSD; provoked the DVA's national survey that led to a $32M government program response; fed into the DVA mental health policy; fed into the Army selection guidelines for overseas service via the Psychology Corps; fed into DVA policy re Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service. Wave 2 will continue this informative process as the cohort ages. This study will provide a firmer basis for treatment of war veterans and others whose lives are visited by trauma, physical ill-health, alcohol disorders, or mental health problems in adulthood.Read moreRead less
Community-wide Active Case Finding For Tuberculosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,422,325.00
Summary
During 2010, 8.8 million people developed TB and 1.45 million people died due to the disease. In this project, which will be conducted in Vietnam, one of the countries in our region with a particularly high prevalence of TB, we will test a new form of an old intervention: community-wide screening for TB, not with x-rays but by testing sputum. If the project is successful it has the potential to lead to a giant leap forward towards the elimination of TB as a global health problem.
Optimising Mental Health And Quality Of Life For Australia’s Military Personnel And Veterans With PTSD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$728,958.00
Summary
Military personnel can experience a range of traumatic events throughout their careers, and many develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result. Effective treatments for PTSD are available but involve seeing a mental health professional weekly for several months, which can be a difficult commitment for many military personnel and veterans to make. This project investigates whether standard treatment for PTSD is as effective when it’s delivered intensively in a shorter period of time.
Intergenerational Transmission Of PTSD Vulnerability: Does PTSD In A Parent Increase The Risk Of Mental Health Disorders In Their Offspring?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$742,136.00
Summary
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs after exposure to trauma; more than 1 million Australians suffer from it. By comparing offspring of Vietnam veteran fathers with PTSD with offspring of veteran fathers with no PSTD, this study will test whether there are ripple effects of PTSD in families of Vietnam veterans, whether they are at higher risk of mental health disorders, and whether their mothers can protect them from psychological disorders.
Ethnographic, Treatment, And Policy Responses To Patients Presenting For Care With Chronic Medically Unexplained Symptoms In Viet Nam: A Randomised Control Trial Of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Structured Care And Treatment As Usual
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$485,417.00
Summary
The current research will undertake a clinical trial of psychological treatments for medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in Viet Nam. MUS have been identified as highly prevalent in Viet Nam and place a substantial burden on an under resourced health care sector. The research will help to advance international understandings of the MUS and their treatment and provide assistance to a country identified by the World Health Organisation mhGAP initiative for intensive mental health assistance.
What Are The Clinical Predictors And Risk Factors For Impaired Child Growth And Development? Following Up The Ha Nam Cohort From Birth To 3 Years
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,189,570.00
Summary
Stunting affects about one third of children under five in developing countries and is a measure of chronic undernutrition. This project will identify pre and postnatal risk factors for impaired child growth and development by monitoring a cohort of infants in Vietnam to three years of age, and developing a predictive algorithm for early detection of those at risk of stunting. Effective preventative measures would improve child health, and prevent a huge burden of disease.