Transitioning Out of the ADF: Common Mental Health Challenges
Transitioning out of the ADF affects more than logistics. Learn what the research shows about mental health risks, and find DVA-funded support in Helensvale.
Psychologist Hannah
9/9/20265 min read
Transitioning Out of the ADF: Common Mental Health Challenges
Leaving the Australian Defence Force is often talked about as a logistical process, medical checks, paperwork, a final posting, a discharge date. What gets far less airtime is the psychological weight of the transition itself. If you or someone in your family is approaching separation from the ADF and searching "veteran transition support Gold Coast" or "mental health support for ex ADF," this guide explains what the research actually shows about this period, and what support is available.
Mindaras Psychology Clinic is based in Helensvale and supports veterans and their families across the Northern Gold Coast, including Coomera, Oxenford, Pacific Pines, Hope Island, Upper Coomera, Ormeau and Nerang. As a registered DVA provider, we work with Gold Card and White Card holders directly, alongside our broader work supporting the children and families of veterans.
Why Transition Is Its Own Distinct Risk Period
This is not a minor adjustment. Australia's Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme, commissioned by the Department of Veterans' Affairs and Defence and led by the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies at the University of Adelaide alongside the Australian Institute of Family Studies, remains the most comprehensive study ever conducted into the health and wellbeing of transitioned and serving ADF members and their families (Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2018). Its Family Wellbeing Study was commissioned specifically because so little was previously understood about the impact of ADF service on the health and wellbeing of Australian families (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2018).
The picture that has emerged is sobering. It is estimated that one in five serving ADF members experiences a mental disorder, and one in three veterans experience high levels of psychological distress (RSL Victoria, 2024). Suicide rates among ex-serving veterans significantly exceed those seen in the general Australian population (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, as cited in Lost in Transition, 2025). Mental health difficulties linked to transition typically emerge within the first two years of leaving service, though support services report helping people who are struggling as much as a decade after they discharged (RSL Victoria, 2024).
What Actually Makes Transition So Hard
Understanding why this period is uniquely difficult can help normalise what you or your partner might be experiencing.
A fracturing of identity. Veterans commonly describe a genuine fracturing of self-identity when they leave the structure, purpose and camaraderie of military life behind (RSL Victoria, 2024). When "who I am" has been closely tied to a role, a unit, and a clear sense of purpose for years, losing that overnight is disorienting in a way civilian career changes rarely replicate.
Loss of structure and peer support. Military life provides a rigid, predictable structure and a built-in community that understands, without explanation, what you have been through. Civilian life offers neither by default, and rebuilding both from scratch takes real time and effort.
Employment and financial strain. Many veterans and their families experience genuine financial strain after leaving the ADF, compounded by the cost of civilian healthcare and, in some cases, difficulty accessing appropriate DVA-funded support close to home (Journal of Veterans Studies, 2025).
Family role renegotiation. New family responsibilities and shifting roles at home are a well-documented feature of this period, often colliding with the psychological adjustment already underway (RSL Victoria, 2024).
Being underprepared, even with formal transition programs in place. National research has found that a substantial proportion of veterans and their families remain insufficiently prepared for civilian life despite existing ADF transition programs, with roughly half reporting substantial difficulties during their transition (Journal of Veterans Studies, 2025).
Stigma and a culture of stoicism. Military culture often prizes stoicism, which can genuinely delay someone recognising or naming that they are struggling, let alone seeking support for it (RSL Victoria, 2024).
This Is Not a Fixed Trajectory
It is worth being clear about this. Struggling during transition does not mean something has gone permanently wrong, and it is not a reflection of weakness or failure to cope. Mental health during and after this period is genuinely dynamic, responding to changing life circumstances, and active management, early detection and the right level of support at the right time make a real, documented difference (RSL Victoria, 2024). Taking the time to plan and prepare for transition, and understanding that new ways of thinking and behaving may genuinely be required in civilian life, has also been identified as protective (RSL Victoria, 2024).
What Helps
Getting support early, not waiting for crisis. Since difficulties commonly emerge within the first two years, this window is worth treating as a genuine opportunity for proactive support, not just something to manage reactively once things feel unmanageable.
Trauma-informed therapy where relevant. For veterans carrying service-related trauma alongside the transition itself, approaches such as EMDR have a substantial evidence base and can help process experiences that continue to intrude on present-day life. Our companion article on EMDR for veterans goes further into how this works.
Whole-family support, not just individual treatment. Given how deeply transition affects the whole household, support that considers partners and children, not only the veteran, tends to lead to a more stable outcome for the family as a unit.
DVA-funded and no-cost pathways. Gold Card and White Card holders can access psychology support, and Open Arms, DVA's dedicated veterans and families counselling service, offers free, no-referral counselling to veterans and eligible family members on 1800 011 046, available 24 hours a day.
What This Looks Like at Mindaras
As a registered DVA provider, our team can see veteran clients directly using their Gold Card or White Card, generally with a GP referral, at no out-of-pocket cost. We bring genuine trauma-informed experience to this work, including EMDR therapy, and we understand that the difficulties surfacing during transition are rarely only about the veteran, they ripple through partners and children too. Our team also has extensive experience supporting children who have experienced trauma connected to family stress and disruption, which is often part of the picture during this period.
Alongside support for veterans and their families, Mindaras offers a broader range of psychological services across the Northern Gold Coast, including anxiety and mood support, ADHD and ASD assessments, and parenting support.
Get in Touch
If you or someone in your family is navigating the transition out of the ADF and finding it harder than expected, that is a genuinely common experience, not a sign that something is wrong with you. Get in touch with Mindaras Psychology Clinic through our Contact page to discuss DVA-funded support or ask any questions first. While you are there, take a look through the full range of services we offer the Northern Gold Coast community. Rebuilding a sense of stability after service is possible, and you do not have to work it out alone.
References
Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2018). Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme: Family Wellbeing Study summary report. Department of Veterans' Affairs. https://www.dva.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/twrp-family-wellbeing-study-summary-report.pdf
Department of Veterans' Affairs. (2018). Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme: Mental health prevalence report. Australian Government. https://www.dva.gov.au/documents-and-publications/transition-and-wellbeing-research-programme-mental-health-prevalence-report-2018
Journal of Veterans Studies. (2025). Lost in transition: The barriers to reintegration for Australian military veterans, a scoping review. Journal of Veterans Studies, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v11i2.768
RSL Victoria. (2024). Healing invisible wounds: Navigating mental health in the Defence and ex-service community. https://rslvic.com.au/news/healing-invisible-wounds-navigating-mental-health-in-the-defence-and-ex-service-community/
This article is for general information only and does not replace individual clinical advice. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call Open Arms on 1800 011 046 (24/7) or 000 in an emergency.