Suicide rates among ex-servicemen 18pc higher

The suicide rate for ex-servicemen is 18 per cent higher than for all Australian men since 2002, new data shows.

If you need help or support please contact: ADF All-hours Support Line: 1800 628 036

The suicide rate for ex-servicemen is 18 per cent higher than for all Australian men since 2002, new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows.

The difference is mainly caused by suicide of ex-servicemen under the age of 30, who in recent years have died at rates up to twice that of all men their age. Overall, there were 419 suicides among serving, reserve and ex-serving ADF personnel since 2001, the report reveals.

Commissioned by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to ­collate data on suicide among serving and ex-serving ADF ­personnel to inform prevention measures, the institute found that between 2002 and 2017, after adjusting for age, the suicide rate was 18 per cent higher for ex-serving men compared with the civilian male population. But for current serving men and men in the ­reserves it was 48 per cent lower.

Since 2007 the institute has made a study that enables a comparison of suicide rates specifically by age.

“From 2007-09 to 2015-17 the suicide rate for ex-serving men aged under 30 was consistently higher than that for men in the same age range in the Australian population,” it found.

“The suicide rate for ex-serving men aged under 30 was 23 per 100,000 at the start of the study period and 47 per 100,000 in 2013-15. The rate for all Australian men under 30 was between 17 and 21 per 100,000 over the study period. “The suicide rate for ex-serving men aged 30 years and over ranged between 23 and 29 per 100,000. During this time there was no evidence of a difference in suicide rates … with men in the same age range in the Australian population.”

Women were included in the study for the first time, institute spokesman Michael Frost said, with 21 suicide deaths across the 2001-17 period. “The suicide rate for ex-serving women was higher than the rate for Australian women, but still lower than the rate for ex-serving men,” he said.

The institute also found that around two-thirds of ex-ADF members were dispensed with at least one medication in 2017-18, similar to the civilian population. “Rates of antidepressants dispensed were slightly higher to ex-serving members compared with all Australians, while rates for cardiovascular medications were slightly lower,” he said.

Mr Frost said the data “will inform improvements in suicide prevention and other services for serving and ex-serving ADF personnel and their families”.

If you need help or support please contact: ADF All-hours Support Line: 1800 628 036; Lifeline: 131114 www.lifeline.org.au; Beyondblue Support Service: 1300 224 636 www.beyondblue.org.au