International research indicates that military veterans who encounter the criminal justice system have distinct needs and experiences. This article draws on 51 life history interviews detailing the personal journeys of Australian Defense Force (ADF) veterans incarcerated in Australia. Findings demonstrate that criminal behavior after leaving the military was often preceded by difficulties reintegrating into civilian society. Incarcerated veterans reported that they felt stereotyped and stigmatized in the legal system, had physical, mental, and social needs that were not met in prison, and that there was inadequate support upon leaving prison and returning to civilian life. A range of implications and practical recommendations stems from these findings.

Evidence based on peer review research findings shapes understandings of and policy responses to the higher than population prevalence of domestic and family violence (DFV) in military families. Drawing on a critical feminist theoretical perspective (centering the constructs of gender, inequality and power and foregrounding women’s knowledge, lived experience and voice), the purpose of this review was to understand how DFV in military families is understood, governed and serviced. It aims to scope ‘the field’, the dominant stakeholders and their research approaches, to inform strategies on diversifying the field into the future. A scoping review of peer reviewed journal articles published between 2000 and 2023 reporting on primary DFV research in military families was conducted. The authors identified 186 peer review articles, mostly reporting on United States of America (USA)-based studies, with a focus on the prevalence of physical violence in military families, correlated with individual risk factors (I.e. mental health conditions, alcohol abuse, trauma/combat exposure, etc.). Much of the scoped research is conducted from an objectivist research paradigm that tends to remove the context in which the domestic violence is occurring. Very few articles investigated DFV in military families from critical and/or relational theoretical and methodological positions or marginalized perspectives. These findings highlight that incorporating diverse and multidisciplinary perspectives is crucial in future research, to ensure a focus on gender and power in the military institution, and military service members’ home and family life.

This article explores the criminological risk factors for incarcerated veterans who have served in the Australian Defence Force. We conducted an international rapid evidence assessment of incarcerated veterans' risk factors, and 51 life history interviews capturing each person's journey through military service, pathways into crime, and experience of incarceration. A survey on the needs and experiences of incarcerated veterans was also conducted. In this article, we reflect on the interview data. Key themes indicated that this group of veterans experienced childhood adversity, negative military experiences, abrupt separation from the military, and difficulties reintegrating into civilian society. Most veterans described the military in very positive terms and lamented their separation. We argue for a whole-of-government approach to disrupt associations between military service and incarceration.

Disempowering experiences of military service and transition for women veterans exist within an established, dominant, masculinised culture, in which their presence is highly visible, challenged, and often subject to institutional prejudice. Sexual abuse of women in the military, in particular, is a persistent finding in contemporary international research and national inquiries into military culture in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), and Canada. This study sought to understand military service, transition to civilian life, and post-military experiences of Australian women veterans, specifically their experiences of discrimination, military sexual harassment and assault, and consequent military sexual trauma (MST). In-depth qualitative interviews were undertaken with 22 Australian women veterans that examined how women veterans manage their identity as women in the military. Issues included gender-based challenges in conforming to a masculinised culture, experiences of misogyny, sexual harassment and assault, systemic failures to recognize women’s specific health needs, and experiences of separation from the military and transition, including help-seeking and engagement with services to address their experiences of MST. Women veterans’ adverse experiences largely stemmed from an entrenched masculinised military culture, in which military sexual assault was enabled, ignored, and condoned. Military and veteran support services have been slow to recognize, acknowledge, and address this significant issue.

This study examines how Australian military veterans experience the transition into higher education, focusing on identity reconstruction, social connection, and institutional recognition of military experience. It aims to better understand how veterans engage with academic environments and the impact these settings have on a successful transition. A qualitative life history interview approach was used, drawing on interviews with 13 Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans enrolled at three of the country's top-ranked universities. A deductive thematic analysis, supported by NVivo software, was used to explore how participants described their adjustment, identity negotiation, and institutional interactions. Veterans described the transition as disorienting, often marked by the loss of structure, limited recognition of prior skills, and a sense of cultural disconnection. Despite these challenges, higher education offered a space for renewal and purpose. Participants who accessed veteran-focused support, particularly through the Military Academic Pathway Program (MAPP) at Flinders University, reported stronger feelings of confidence, belonging, and engagement. Veteran-informed strategies that acknowledge service backgrounds, support identity transition, and foster inclusion are essential to successful outcomes. Strengthening institutional responsiveness can improve veterans' academic experiences and support more effective reintegration after service.

This scoping review synthesises evidence on the system-level barriers Australian veterans and their families encounter during post-service reintegration, with a particular focus on accessing resources across the health, social, and community domains. A structured search of seven databases (CINAHL, JBI EBP Database, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) and Google Scholar identified 509 studies published between 2013 and 2024, of which, 16 met the inclusion criteria. The findings reveal significant challenges, including fragmented service coordination, limited accessibility, employment-related constraints, and low awareness of entitlements and available supports. Although the military-to-civilian transition is widely recognised as a vulnerable period, existing research tends to prioritise psychosocial outcomes, leaving the structural and institutional barriers underexamined. While grounded in the Australian context, this review offers insights relevant to other Five Eyes nations and calls for more cohesive transition programs and integrated support systems to improve long-term reintegration trajectories.

BACKGROUND:Young males experience markedly poorer mental health outcomes. Organised sport settings provide novel prospects to improve the mental health of this subpopulation. AIM:This systematic review aimed to evaluate interventions targeted at the promotion of mental health and wellbeing among young males in organised sporting contexts. METHODS:Six databases (SportDiscus, PsycInfo, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL) were searched from inception to June 2022 (and updated in September 2023). Eligible studies examined interventions targeting the mental health and wellbeing (e.g., depression, anxiety, resilience) or mental health literacy (e.g., stigmatising attitudes, help-seeking) of young males aged 10-24 years (or associated stakeholder samples; e.g., parents or coaches of male youth). RESULTS:A total of 15 studies were included in this review. Overall, the findings indicate promising effects of sport-based interventions on the mental health and mental health literacy outcomes of young males. CONCLUSIONS:This review suggests that there is scope to improve the capacity of sports-based interventions to affect positive change in the mental health of male youth. The findings from this review also have important implications for the development and evaluation of sports-based interventions targeted at young males in future.

This study aimed to elucidate the Islamic religious values present in science education in schools. Islamic Education (PAI) serves as a benchmark in every aspect of education in schools, particularly regarding the morality of students. Furthermore, Islamic Education is consistently juxtaposed with various other subjects, with the hope that the subjects accompanying it can impart positive values to the students. The research methodology employed was a qualitative approach using a literature review. Descriptive content analysis was utilized to analyze the data, enabling the results to address the research questions. The findings indicate that Islamic values in science education can provide a paradigm regarding the holistic concept of human beings and instill the importance of morality in every learning process for students. Therefore, Islamic content and science education can coexist to achieve good learning quality and cultivate morally upright and virtuous students.

Research shows that higher education can help veterans build a new sense of identity, purpose and belonging after leaving the military. There are critical gaps, however, in our understanding of student veterans in the Australian context. This article aims to map the experiences of Australian veterans across the student life cycle to improve our understanding of this unique group. We systematically address the higher education stages of pre-access, access, participation, and attainment. Fourteen autobiographical interviews were conducted to obtain detailed and nuanced personal reflections. Findings demonstrate that veterans often make exemplary students who are motivated to pursue altruistic careers. However, transitions between the military and higher education can be difficult to navigate. We argue the need for a structured pathway between the military and higher education and increased support for veterans across the student life cycle. We recommend a range of initiatives to prepare veterans to thrive in higher education.

Serving in the military can have significant impacts on the mental health of veterans and their families. Military personnel can be exposed to a range of physical stressors, psychological trauma, risky lifestyle factors, a regimented military culture, and inadequate support when transitioning out of service. This article reviews research on interventions designed to improve the mental health of Australian military veterans in order to synthesise current knowledge and identify gaps in the literature. Our scoping review followed PRISMA recommendations and comprised peer-reviewed literature published since 2000. The review demonstrates a dominance of psychologically driven research paradigms and interventions and a neglect of the importance of social factors in shaping veteran mental health. There is a wide range of interventions available; however, the literature is narrow and limited. We found little evidence that the lived experience of veterans had been harnessed in program design or delivery. We argue the need for a holistic approach that moves beyond psychological and biological understandings of health and wellbeing to incorporate social and cultural determinants. Future research could adopt a stronger multidisciplinary approach, increased socio-cultural understanding, and greater consideration of the lived experience of veterans and their families.

This study explores the impact of sex on delays experienced by Australian military veterans in accessing advocacy support services within the veterans’ non-profit sector. A detailed analysis of intake records from 150 injured veterans who entered the Returned and Services League of Australia’s advocacy program in 2021 reveals significant disparities between male and female veterans in seeking assistance. On average, male veterans delay accessing support by 20.4 years post-service, compared to 9.1 years for female veterans. These prolonged delays hinder veterans’ ability to secure financial and medical support from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, limiting timely access to essential healthcare services. As a result, delays can exacerbate physical and psychological symptoms, impede recovery, and increase the risk of suicide. The findings provide valuable insights for international healthcare professionals on the influence of military culture and traditional masculine norms in shaping veterans’ help-seeking behaviors. By understanding these dynamics, healthcare practitioners can develop targeted, sex-sensitive interventions that address specific barriers faced by male and female veterans. Ensuring timely access to advocacy support is crucial for improving health outcomes and reducing suicide risk in this vulnerable population.

LAY SUMMARY Families offer vital mental health and well-being support to Veterans and public safety personnel. This study offers a model of how families can experience moral distress from service cultures that exclude them, leaving families stuck, exacerbating a sense of moral distress resulting from perceived organizational betrayal felt in the context of families’ help-seeking experiences. The model was informed by in-depth interviews conducted in Australia with 25 family members with experience seeking help and providing support to a family member who is a Veteran or public safety personnel. The interviews provided a detailed description of how embedded and aligned families were to a member’s service role, and their profound sense of betrayal and distress when attempts to support family members’ mental health were thwarted. Families may experience moral distress from identifying the problem and potential support solutions, but having nowhere to go to realize those supports for their family member. The implications for Veteran and public safety organizations as well as health professionals to promote more meaningful involvement of families is discussed.

Organised sport is increasingly recognised as a culturally acceptable site for mental health and wellbeing promotion. To date, however, there is limited knowledge pertaining to how exactly mental health and wellbeing is supported in such contexts. The present study aimed to provide insight into mental health and wellbeing promotion practices in Australian sports clubs. An online cross-sectional survey examined the current provision of mental health and wellbeing initiatives in sports clubs, barriers and motives to such promotional efforts, and perceptions of psychological safety within club environments. The survey was completed by 302 stakeholders of Australian sports clubs (Mage = 41.3 +/- 15.7 years, 46.7% male). Fewer than half of stakeholders (47.7%) reported that their sports club had implemented initiatives to support mental health and wellbeing. Insufficient resources (e.g. knowledge, finances) were identified as the most prominent barrier to such promotional efforts. Sports clubs reported using various initiatives to promote mental health and wellbeing, although evidence-based resources (e.g. Ahead of the Game) were rarely implemented. Stakeholders in sports clubs that had implemented initiatives to support mental health and wellbeing perceived their club as a more mentally healthy environment and attained higher mental health literacy scores. Ongoing efforts to increase the utilisation of sports settings to support mental health and wellbeing are necessary.

Women’s experiences of military service and transition occur within a highly dominant masculinized culture. The vast majority of research on military veterans reflects men’s experiences and needs. Women veterans’ experiences, and therefore their transition support needs, are largely invisible. This study sought to understand the role and impact of gender in the context of the dominant masculinized culture on women veterans’ experiences of military service and transition to civilian life. In-depth qualitative interviews with 22 Australian women veterans elicited four themes: (1) Fitting in a managing identity with the military; (2) Gender-based challenges in conforming to a masculinized culture—proving worthiness, assimilation, and survival strategies within that culture; (3) Women are valued less than men—consequences for women veterans, including misogyny, sexual harassment and assault, and system failures to recognize women’s specific health needs and role as mothers; and (4) Separation and transition: being invisible as a woman veteran in the civilian world. Gendered military experiences can have long-term negative impacts on women veterans’ mental and physical health, relationships, and identity due to a pervasive masculinized culture in which they remain largely invisible. This can create significant gender-based barriers to services and support for women veterans during their service, and it can also impede their transition support needs.