TCR: Serving and Ex-Serving Australian Defence Force Members Mental Health and Wellbeing 2026

In response to the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, the Australian Government has committed $10 million through the NHMRC to support high-quality research into the health and wellbeing of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members. This TCR aims to generate high-quality evidence and develop practical, implementable actions to improve mental and physical health and promote wellbeing among serving and ex-serving ADF members, with consideration given to the impact on their support networks, including family, dependants and carers. The objectives of this TCR are to facilitate research that: •            Focuses on translation and implementation, with actions and methods that can be adopted by mainstream community health services. •            Targets prevention and early intervention strategies that improve long-term health outcomes and builds the evidence base for scalable and implementable programs and/or strategies that aim to improve holistic and functional outcomes throughout the patient journey. •            Promotes collaborative and multidisciplinary research approaches that recognise the complex and intersecting physical and mental health needs of serving and ex-serving ADF members, and ways to improve these through prevention and early intervention. The expected outcomes of this TCR are to: •            Support the development and implementation of programs, policies and activities that prevent suicidality, suicidal distress and acute mental health crises among serving and ex-serving ADF members, while optimising treatment, and improving equitable access to care services. •            Address the intersection of complex mental and physical health conditions and the needs of serving and ex-serving ADF members through collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to care.