Here are a few statistics.
From 2012 to 2016, the number of people who used the service went from 614 to 1,140. Therefore, there was an increase. This was mainly the result of the decision to improve the services by increasing the number of counselling sessions to 20. For a veteran or a veteran's family member who wants to address a major issue, it's worthwhile to have counselling sessions over a longer period. It's very positive.
Of the 1,143 people mentioned here, 68% are veterans, 28% are veterans' family members and 2% are retired RCMP members. The people who use the services are, on average, in their late forties or early fifties. People use the Veterans Affairs Canada assistance service mainly for psychological issues not related to military service or for couples counselling.
Thank you.