Veteran and defence families need to be "central" to policymaking in a bid to turn around shocking statistics showing poorer mental health and employment outcomes in households.
Research commissioned by the Families of Veterans Guild has demonstrated the ongoing impact of military service on families, which includes significant financial stress and inadequate access to health care.
The 2025 Veteran Families Survey undertaken by YouGov questioned almost 600 family members of current and former defence force personnel.
Kelly Brown, an ex-serving ADF member and the partner of a veteran, said frequent postings to different locations across the country provided opportunities and adventure but could also limit career advancement for spouses.
She backed the report's recommendation for a ministerial advisory body focused on the needs of veteran and defence families.
"Families are on the outside of a system at the moment when they really should be central to decision making that directly impacts them," she told AAP.
"For years, veteran families have been largely invisible in policy. The 2025 Veteran Families Survey provides government timely evidence about what we live every day.
"The government needs to remember that the family will still be there even when the job's done, so they need to be considered throughout the life cycle."
Three in 10 participants said their household had one or more adults who had experienced unemployment or underemployment.
The same number said they or their family had trouble accessing mental health services, while more than half (52 per cent) had experienced poor mental health.
The majority of families were worried about their financial situation.
Looking at the impact on children, almost three-quarters had experienced personal difficulties in the past year, while 60 per cent had school-related issues.
Despite the challenges facing their families, 59 per cent of those surveyed would still recommend a career in the Australian Defence Force, while a quarter would not.
The report was launched at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday.
Families of Veterans Guild chief executive Renee Wilson said the organisation was advocating for the expansion of the Veteran White Card for mental health to include spouses and children of veterans.
"This report must be a catalyst for action," she said.
"We have the evidence. Now we need a co-ordinated national response to ensure the families who sacrifice so much and enable the defence of our country are supported in every way possible."
The guild also recommended the federal government act on the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide's recommendation for an independent review of the veteran and families counselling service Open Arms to ensure it was meeting the needs of families.
Ms Brown said the royal commission had helped build momentum for issues facing the defence and veteran community, with the government aware of the challenges that need to be addressed.
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