The report highlights that 2,007 confirmed suicides among ADF members from 1985 to 2021 indicate a troubling mental health crisis that underestimates the problem due to excluded veterans and undetermined deaths.
The findings reveal that ex-serving members of the permanent forces suffer from significantly higher rates of deaths of despair, with males and females being 21% and 81% more likely, respectively, compared to their civilian counterparts.
Worryingly, a 10% vacancy rate and 15% of ADF personnel medically unavailable have created a 'hollowness' in the organisation, compromising defence capabilities and personnel wellbeing.
Potential reforms call for recognizing that operational readiness is contingent on maintaining a healthy workforce, emphasizing the urgent need for support systems to combat these alarming trends in mental health.
#adf-mental-health #suicide-rates #personnel-wellbeing #defence-capability #royal-commission-findings
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