Landmark Study Delivers New Foundation for Middle East Veterans' Health and Wellbeing
MEDIA RELEASE
RSL-funded MEAO Scoping Study is a major milestone in veteran health research in decades and drawn international interest.
The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) has released the findings of a major independent study into the health and wellbeing of Australian veterans who served in the Middle East Area of Operations, establishing a strong foundation of evidence and action with this cohort.
The Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) Veteran and Families Project Scoping Study was fully funded by the RSL and conducted independently of government. Led by a multidisciplinary consortium of Gallipoli Medical Research, Griffith University, and Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, the Study analysed approximately 2,500 international research studies, held lived experience workshops with veterans and families of veterans, and reviewed Australian MEAO research and data assets linking survey data with administrative health records.
RSL National President, Hon Peter Tinley AM, said the study represented a watershed moment for the contemporary veteran community.
"The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide made clear that the status quo is not acceptable. The MEAO Scoping Study is our answer: a rigorous, evidence-based foundation for change that places veterans and their families at the centre of care where they belong." Mr Tinley said.
MEAO veterans served in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to 2021, many on multiple rotations, in counterinsurgency and stabilisation roles that blurred the lines between combat, peacekeeping and civil engagement. Improvised explosive devices were a constant threat, contributing to both psychological harm and traumatic brain injuries, often multiple times over successive deployments. Many veterans returned to civilian life without continuity of care, and to communities with limited understanding of their experiences.
What the Study found
Clear themes emerged: complex mental health conditions, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder occurring alongside depression and anxiety, chronic pain, musculoskeletal injuries, functional impairment, traumatic brain injuries and moral injury.
Social impacts were equally significant. Employment instability, financial stress, relationship breakdown and difficulties navigating civilian systems were recurring themes in post-service life. Stigma around mental health, fear of career repercussions and cultural norms within Defence contributed to delays in help-seeking. Transition was consistently identified as a period of high vulnerability.
Families and carers bear a disproportionate burden, often reporting emotional exhaustion, loss of identity, exclusion from treatment planning and denial of access to psychological support. Critically, none of these conditions exist in isolation. The Study highlights their deep, mutually reinforcing interconnection.
"We're only just beginning to understand the full impact that service in the Middle East has had on families - mine included. Too many are still slipping through the cracks. This study helps us see those gaps more clearly and gives us a chance to do better." Said Annabelle Wilson, Veteran Family Commissioner.
International Recognition
The Study has resonated beyond Australia. RSL Victoria President Mark Schröffel, representing RSL Australia, presented a poster summary of the Study's findings at The Veterans' Mental Health Conference in London in May 2026. It drew interest from a range of participants, including officials from the UK Office of Veterans Affairs, reflecting shared recognition of the challenges facing MEAO veterans beyond Australia.
Building On Real Momentum
The RSL acknowledges the significant progress already underway. The Government's implementation of Royal Commission recommendations, and its funding of Veterans' and Families' Hubs bringing services together in one place, are making a positive difference to many lives. Extending that place-based model to veterans' health services would be lifechanging for those living with multiple chronic conditions and those who support them.
The Study gives the sector the evidence to take that work further. Ex-service organisations, health providers, researchers and academia now have a single authoritative evidence base from which to design better services, pursue new research and shape policy grounded in what MEAO veterans actually need.
Miriam Kent, Chief Executive Officer, Gallipoli Medical Research said:
“This significant research project united veterans, families, researchers and sector partners to identify the most pressing evidence gaps and research priorities. We hope it serves as both a call to action and a foundation for the research that must follow to ensure MEAO veterans and their families receive the support they deserve.”
The findings point clearly to the value of holistic, veteran-centred multidisciplinary care that treats the whole person, addressing mental health, physical health, cognitive injury, social need and family wellbeing together rather than in isolation. Similar models have been successfully trialled for other cohorts and endorsed in Australia's Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022-2032.
Kahlil Fegan DSC, AM, Repatriation Commissioner said:
"As a MEAO veteran and the son of a Vietnam War veteran, I'm grateful to see the RSL working to better understand the impact of Middle East service on veterans and their families. We needed to do much better for my father's generation, and this study is an important step towards doing better for mine."
A Vital First Step
RSL Australia views the Study as a foundation, not a conclusion. The RSL will continue to work alongside government, the veteran sector, health providers and the research community to ensure this evidence translates into real improvements for the men and women who served our nation in the Middle East and contemporary theatres, and for the families who continue to stand beside them.