AFP/AAC Newsletter #32 - English

Issue #32 • March 2019 Armed Forces Pensioners’ / Annuitants’ Association of Canada and seniors groups that share a common vision – that public and private sector employers must honour existing pension commit- ments to pensioners, veterans, and employees. Coalition members meet monthly (in person or by teleconference) to discuss changes to legislation which might impact pension plans, and to develop strat- egies to counter perceived threats to our pension plans. The main activity of this coali- tion is the monitoring of employer actions and announcements which could threaten employee pensions. AFP/AAC will continue to partici- pate in this important activity. n U nderstanding current and projected health care needs is a crucial element of caring for Canada’s veterans now, and in the future. Collecting and analyz- ing data about veterans’ health is a priority project for Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), working in part- nership with the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF), and Statistics Canada. The Life After Service Studies (LASS) research program is designed to further understand the implications of the transition from military to civilian life and ultimately improve the health of veterans in Canada. This summary focuses on the most recent LASS, conducted in 2016, involving the 60,000 Regular Force veterans released between 1998 and 2015. The results build on information gathered in the 2010 and 2013 LASS surveys. For some key metrics, the LASS distinguishes between earlier-era veterans (re- leased between 1998 and 2012) and recent-era (released between 2012 and 2015). Among the key findings: n Veterans of both eras had increased rates compared to comparable Canadians from the general population for condi- tions including activity limita- tion and low income. n Recent-era veterans had a high- er prevalence of health problem indicators than comparable Canadians. These health indi- cators include obesity, smoking, back problems, life stress and heavy drinking, needing help with activities of daily living, employment difficulties, lack of postsecondary education, lower life satisfaction and decreased sense of community belonging. n By contrast, earlier-era veterans reported comparable rates to their Canadian peers in the general population for the above-men- tioned health indicators. n Recent-era veterans reported chronic conditions including arthritis, depression, anxi- ety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at higher rates than Canadians of comparable age and sex. Earlier-era veterans had similar rates to comparable Canadians for these conditions. n The prevalence of cancer and heart disease was similar for veterans of both eras and com- parable Canadians. n In terms of self-rated mental health, earlier-era veterans fared better than the Canadian general population while the recent-era veterans’ self-rating was worse than for comparable Canadian. n 52% of veterans reported an easy adjustment to civilian life, while 32% reported difficulty. n Recent-era veterans had a high- er rate of difficult adjustment (42%), compared to earlier-era veterans (29%). n Recent-era veterans had higher rates of service in Afghanistan than their earlier-era counter- parts as well as higher rates of having served for less than 10 years; these are factors associat- ed with difficult adjustment. n Rank group indicators are also provided. 46% of Regular Force veterans self-rated their overall health as very good or excellent. Among this population, SrNCM had the lowest rate (38%), compared to JrNCM (44%) and Officers (62%). This pattern across rank groups was also observed for diabetes, bowel disorders, heart disease, chronic pain, activity limitations, and needing help with activities of daily living. n Self-rated mental health of very good or excellent was reported by 56% of Regular Force veter- ans. JrNCM had the lowest rate (50%), compared to SrNCM (55%) and Officers (74%). Offi- cers had a lower rate of difficult adjustment to post-service life, compared to Senior Non-Com- missioned Members (SrNCM) and Junior Non-Commissioned Members (JrNCM). n A similar pattern across rank groups was also observed for depression, anxiety, asthma, traumatic brain injury effects, moderate psychological distress, probable PTSD symptoms, and suicidal ideation. While employment, financial health and the impact of transi- tioning out of service on family members were also included in the most recent LASS, for the purposes of brevity, we have focused primar- ily on health related information. Please refer to links at the bottom Health indicators for Veterans See Health indicators on page 4