The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has today released the seventh annual report on deaths by suicide among permanent, reserve and ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

The report, Serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members who have served since 1985: suicide monitoring 1997 to 2022, provides information on deaths by suicide among ADF members who served at least one day since January 1985 and died between 1997 and 2022.

‘Every life lost to suicide is a deep tragedy, and the impact on their loved ones is profound and far-reaching, including on Australia’s defence and veteran community,’ said AIHW spokesperson Paul Pham.

‘This ongoing body of work aims to inform improvements in suicide awareness and prevention for ADF personnel and their families.’

There were 1,763 deaths by suicide between 1997 and 2022. The majority (1,464) occurred among ex-serving members, followed by permanent members (174) and reserves (125).

According to preliminary data for 2020–2022, the suicide rates (deaths per 100,000 population per year) for the most recent 3-year period were 27.6 for ex-serving males, 18.5 for permanent males, 13.4 for reserve males and 12.6 for ex-serving females. As deaths by suicide are often subject to lengthy coronial processes, the most recent period (2020–2022) uses preliminary deaths data that are subject to change.

The suicide rate for ex-serving males has tended to be slightly lower each 3-year period since 2014–2016, including 2020–2022. However, it is difficult to identify a trend as preliminary data may be revised upward as death records are finalised for the most recent years.

Rates have fluctuated with no consistent trends for permanent males, reserve males and ex-serving females throughout the monitoring period of 1997–2022.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for younger ex-serving ADF members, the report also shows. For ex-serving males and females aged under 30, suicide accounted for 42% and 44% of deaths, respectively, between 1997–2022.

Consistent with previous years, the suicide rate for ex-serving males who left the ADF voluntarily was similar to Australian males. The suicide rate for ex-serving males who separate involuntarily for medical reasons is almost 3 times the rate of those who separate voluntarily (62.7 compared with 22.0 per 100,000 population per year). For ex-serving females, there was no statistically significant difference between those who separated involuntarily for medical reasons and those who separated voluntarily.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide released its final report on 9 September 2024, concluding 3 years of inquiry into issues relevant to suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members. The final report contains 122 recommendations and over 3,000 pages of evidence, commentary and findings across 7 volumes.

‘The AIHW looks forward to playing its part in the government’s response to the Royal Commission,’ Mr Pham said.

For advice on how to report on mental illness and suicide responsibly: Mindframe guidelines - Mindframe - external site opens in new window

If the information presented raises any issues for you, these services can help:

• Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling 1800 011 046, or www.openarms.gov.au - external site opens in new window
• Open Arms Suicide Intervention page https://www.openarms.gov.au/get-support/suicide-intervention - external site opens in new window
• Defence All-hours Support Line 1800 628 036
• Defence Member and Family Helpline 1800 624 608
• Defence Chaplaincy Support 1300 333 362
• ADF Mental Health Services https://www1.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/health-well-being/garrison/adf-mental-health-services - external site opens in new window
• Lifeline 13 11 14, or www.lifeline.org.au - external site opens in new window
• Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, or https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au - external site opens in new window
• Beyond Blue Support Service 1300 22 4636, or www.beyondblue.org.au - external site opens in new window