Electronic risky health behaviour and mental health screening for contemporary NZ veterans

Therapeutic intervention study. This is a proof of concept study. VeCHAT involves electronic screening of risky health behaviour and mental health screening for contemporary NZ veterans. Summary results are reviewed online by a Veteran Affairs medical case reviewer and referral made to a case manager where indicated. Veteran participants subsequently complete an online acceptability and feasibility survey. Case managers and medical case reviewers will be interviewed as to feasibility and acceptability of the tool, and utility data extracted from the VeCHAT database. The only 'intervention' is the online screening. Participants will only be invited to complete the online screening once. The medical case reviewers will decide on the course of action as per their usual system of care ie usual practice. Similarly they will refer to the case managers as they would normally. The case managers will refer clients on, either for self-management, to community agencies or to GPs. they will not 'intervene' per se. Thew screening involves participants completing the online screening questionnaire at home or another place of their convenience on an internet-enabled device - eg computer, phone, tablet. Questions cover substance misuse, problem gambling, depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, exposure to abuse, difficulties with anger control and physical inactivity., For some of the items a positive response triggers presentation of a validated scored diagnostic tool (ASSIST, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PTSD-PC). Completing the questionnaire takes between 5 and 15 minutes depending on numbers of positive responses.