Prime Minister demands briefings on former Australian Defence personnel taking their own lives

The prime minister has called for urgent departmental briefings, in response to an increase in former Australian Defence personnel taking their own lives.

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Scott Morrison has admitted some of the nation’s most vulnerable veterans are being failed by federal government agencies.

Daniel Garforth was a returned soldier who killed himself at just 21 years of age in 2014.

The prime minister has called for urgent departmental briefings, in response to an increase in former Australian Defence personnel taking their own lives. Mr Morrison said the mental health challenges confronting veterans was very concerning.

“Still it is the case that people are taking their own lives, and are finding the stresses and strains of mental health issues that they are combating too much,” he told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

“So as Australians, it’s our job to reach out to them and make sure that they can connect to those services, and that those services are at the places and delivered in the way that can make a big difference.” The prime minister said people knew to seek help when they were injured or physically sick.

Julie-Ann Finney with a picture of her son Dave, who lost his battle with PTSD after serving in the Navy. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“But when it comes to mental health, sometimes we’re unaware of those signs, and we’re unaware of those signs in each other, so it’s important that we’re aware of those,” he said.

“In the same way we would reach out and seek to connect with health services when we’re suffering from a physical health condition, we need to do the same for ourselves and each other when it comes to mental health.” A report commissioned by the federal government has found the suicide risk among former Australian Defence Force personnel has doubled.

Some mental illnesses have appeared to lay dormant during military service, only to be diagnosed at a later stage.

The report found more attention needed to be paid to veterans once they returned to civilian life.

“Most worryingly, in the current report, the rate of suicidality doubled in those who transitioned between 2010 and 2015, to the extent that one in four personnel who transitioned out of the ADF reported suicidality,” it found. “There is an opportunity for early intervention for many of these individuals because two-thirds of ADF personnel who reported suicidality during ADF service still reported suicidality after transition.”

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SAVE OUR HEROES

The Daily Telegraph today launches the Save Our Heroes campaign to give wounded military heroes proper psychiatric care, compensation and dignity.

We are supporting Julie-Ann Finney, the mother of late Petty Officer Dave Finney, in her calls for a Royal Commission into the suicides of hundreds of serving and former military personnel.

Any death of our bravest and finest in this manner is disturbing. That an average of one veteran a week dying at their hands is beyond belief.

The deaths must stop.

The Daily Telegraph’s Save our Heroes campaign.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE