Former elite soldiers who undertook a gruelling prisoner-of-war training program have questioned whether the skills gained outweigh potential psychological damage.

Key points: Training program designed to prepare soldiers for POW situations

Training program designed to prepare soldiers for POW situations A committee examining the training procedures said Defence needed to exercise a greater duty of care

A committee examining the training procedures said Defence needed to exercise a greater duty of care Former SAS Trooper Evan Donaldson said the training caused him long-term psychological damage

The controversial Resistance to Interrogation training is given to military personnel who could be at risk of capture by enemy forces.

Dr Steve Scally was forced into four rounds of the training during his 21 years in the military, and says it pushed participants to physical and psychological extremes.

"It involves being subjected to sleep deprivation, starvation, disorientation. And the Australian Army has techniques in which to invoke those situations," he told the ABC.

"I don't think the ADF fully understands the full psychiatric effects of it. Certainly the effects are very subliminal."

Dr Scally was one of several former soldiers who gave evidence to a parliamentary inquiry examining the training procedures.

The committee expressed concern soldiers were being subjected to up to 96 hours of straight training and warned Defence needed to exercise a greater duty of care.

The Federal Government has now agreed to a suite a measures, overhauling the protections for personnel.

It will include giving participants more information about the potential risks and a post training briefing with a psychologist.

'I was stripped naked'

Former SAS Trooper Evan Donaldson gave evidence and claimed it caused him long-term psychological damage.

"I was stripped naked and given a very thin hospital gown," he said.

"I remember partially tripping in one instance because I couldn't see where I was going of course. And one of the guards assaulted me with his knee to my buttocks which resulted in a tear to my anus and bleeding."

Dr Scally said he also suffered mental harm from training and claims there is no hard evidence to show the results outweigh the potential risks.

"I really don't think there's enough understood about the military experience and the psychiatric effects of that experience," he said.

"The benefit has not really been described or quantified in any way whatsoever. It's just assumed that its needed.

But Neil James, who was one of the original architects of the training program, said it was vital to prepare troops for possible capture.

"The idea floated by some members of the Senate committee that this training should be banned, is not only dangerous, it's quite an immoral view," he said.

"You have a duty of care that if they're captured by an enemy who will maltreat them, that you better develop their capacity to survive that treatment by pre-training."