Young men who leave the military are twice as likely to take their own lives as their civilian counterparts, a new report has found.
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, released on Friday, has found there were 325 certified suicides involving current or former Australian defence force members between 2001 and 2015.
It found a significant disparity in risk between those still serving, and those who have left.
For serving ADF members or reserves, the risk of suicide was lower than the general community, but those who left the military were 14% more likely to die by suicide.
The risk of suicide was particularly high for veterans aged 18-24, who were twice as likely to die by suicide than civilians of the same age.
Suicides were more prevalent among the military’s lower ranks. Those who left defence as non-commissioned officers were 2.8 times more likely to take their own lives than their commissioned superiors.
The report also suggests the method of discharge exacerbates the risk of suicide. Those who were involuntarily discharged were 2.4 times more likely to take their own lives than those leaving of their own volition.
The rate was even worse for those involuntarily discharged for medical reasons, who were 3.6 times more likely to die by suicide.
The findings of the report are likely to fuel pressure on the government and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) to act on veteran suicide and mental health. The department’s support of veterans has come under intense scrutiny through a senate inquiry, which is set to deliver its final report in August.
That inquiry has heard sustained and repeated criticism of the DVA, which has variously been described as dysfunctional, poorly resourced, slow and overly bureaucratic.
Dozens of submissions to the inquiry speak of the difficulty faced by veterans in having claims for injuries, either physical or psychological, recognised.
One veteran, Paul Bunker, told the inquiry of his exhausting and frustrating battle to have a military-related injury recognised by the department. He said he and many other veterans felt abandoned by the military after their service.
“The organisation that they represented and believed were looking after their best interests has suddenly disowned them,” Bunker said. “In some cases, they had put their lives on the line in active service only find out later when they have a problem that now they have to do it alone as the organisation and DVA won’t represent them.”
Veteran Brad Macdonald told the inquiry he made a financial claim for a back injury related to his service. He went for a permanent medical assessment, only to realise the department had told his doctor to assess the wrong disc in his spine.
The doctor would not change the assessment, Macdonald said, and wrote back to the department, advising them nothing was wrong with that particular disc. Macdonald said his injury claim was denied.
“I get very frustrated and depressed at the way we are treated and I am very surprised that a vet hasn’t gone into these departments and threatened them with violence,” Macdonald wrote to the inquiry.
“Many take their lives for petty reasons when you sit back and look at the bigger picture. But someone that in a deep depression can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
There are community organisations attempting to help veterans who fall through the cracks left by government.
One of those groups, Soldier On, tries to help veterans transition out of the military and into normal life.
The organisation does not bar veterans who may lack a formal diagnosis. It works by providing veterans with therapy and counselling, while rebuilding their sense of social connectedness through group activities.
At the same time, it reskills soldiers and links them with employment. Demand for its services tripled last financial year, but deputy chief executive Karlie Brand said a lack of funding is restricting its ability to meet demand.
“We really do feel the strategy that we’ve got, in terms of psych, social connectedness and employment, is really what’s needed. It hits the key vulnerabilities,” Brand told Guardian Australia. “Where we fall down is funding. We can’t be everywhere, we don’t have enough people.”
The AIHW report, as expected, found the overwhelming majority of the 325 suicides involved men. More than half were no longer serving full-time. About 20% were in the reserves.
For immediate advice and support contact :
- Veterans and Veterans’ Families Counselling Service: 1800 011 046
- Defence All-hours Support Line: 1800 628 036
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- Mensline: 1300 789 978
