Some veterans were bravely able to communicate their own experiences to the commission over the course of almost two weeks.

Sadly, for some veterans who had already passed away, it was left to family members to make sure their story was heard.

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The commission heard Gavin Tunstall's story who told of the psychological injuries and suicidal ideation he endured for years after his first deployment to Afghanistan.

He said his condition caused him to be ostracised and ultimately shunned by the defence force.

It heard from Madonna Paul, the widow of an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force who developed post-traumatic stress disorder over the course of his career.

She said his changed behaviour severely impacted her family and played a role in two suicide attempts by her eldest son.

Ms Paul told the commission her husband Michael succumbed to the strain he was placed under by the Veterans Affairs Department in getting a claim processed for his psychological injuries and took his own life.

READ MORE: Widow details pain and cruel treatment at Royal Commission hearing

She told of how there was a complication between her widow's pension and compensation paid from the department for her husband's death - one that resulted in her having to pay back pension payments which has so far left her $220,000 out of pocket.

She said she had not received responses to requests for information for the anomaly.

Former peacekeeper William McCann told about his PTSD diagnosis and having to deal with feelings of shame, weakness and a sense of failure.

He said suicidal ideation was something he had to contend with daily, and if it was not for the support of his family and medical team, he would have already taken his life.

READ MORE: Veterans most at-risk right after the service, Royal Commission told

The final day of hearings featured an unidentified 16-year-old daughter of two veterans diagnoses with PTSD.

She told the commission their mental health condition had impacted her life from when she was a toddler.

She said the compensation claims process was humiliating for veterans and could retraumatise them.

The teenager said the support offered by the department was inadequate, labelling it appalling.

The common theme over each day hearings were held was stark yet simple: the Australian Defence Force was not doing enough to address and prevent suicides.

The Royal Commission on Thursday handed down its interim report on the inquiry so far and made 13 recommendations for action.

Five of these concerned the claims system, administered by the Veterans Affairs Department.

Commissioner Nick Kaldas said it was clear to the commission Australia's veteran compensation and rehabilitation legislative was so complicated that it adversely affected the mental health of some veterans and could contribute to suicidality.

"Veterans wait a long period of time to receive a decision about their claims - sometimes more than 300 days," he said.

Mr Kaldas said the Veterans Affairs Department had a backlog of 41,799 claims by the end of May.

He said the commissioner recommended the department be given until March 2024 to eliminate the backlog, assisted by a boost in government funding.

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie, who appeared before the commission to discuss her own struggles with an inquiry claim with DVA, said the backlog should be cleared a lot sooner.

"Most veterans can't wait until 2024 to have their claims dealt with," she said.

"This should be a top priority for the new government."

Professor Christine Stirling was part of a research project conducted by the University of Tasmania on the state's veterans.

She told the commission veterans shared the need for help with PTSD and mental health issues, adding it was quickly identified most faced an adversarial attitude from DVA over their claims.

"The difficult and adversarial system that is the way that the DVA works ... creates this negative spiral for people as they try to get recognition for their problems," she said.

The extreme pressure the claims system placed on a vulnerable former defence force officer was no clearer than through Ms Paul's testimony about her husband Michael.

He had taken his own life after two unsuccessful attempts for compensation for psychological injuries he had developed within the defence force, which had rendered him unable to work after leaving the service.

Ms Paul then had her own struggles to access a widow's pension and compensation from the department for his death.

"I don't understand the politics behind it, but it's a very cruel and inhumane treatment," she told the commission this week.

"I have suffered at the hands of DVA generational and systematic abuse and it needs to stop."

The commission heard in Hobart a former defence force officer was most at-risk of suicide when they transitioned out of service, more so if they were discharged involuntarily.

RSL Tasmania representatives told the commission there were difficulties in having veterans based in remote areas of the state where the services they required were absent. They also said there were challenges in attracting younger members to the organisation so they may receive the support it had to offer.

Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh this week said he hoped findings in the interim report would help to start to address cultural issues within the defence force.

"It's devastating that Australia has lost more serving and former serving personnel to suicide than it has lost through operations over the last 20 years in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.

The commission will hand down its full report on the inquiry in June 2024.

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