Health service use in the year before and after intentional self-harm among ex-serving ADF members

Web report

Last updated: 09 Sep 2025

Topic: Veterans

Media release

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2025) Health service use in the year before and after intentional self-harm among ex-serving ADF members, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 28 June 2026.

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Classifications and codes

Table 4: Codes used in this publication
Health service	Indicators	Codes
MBS services	Mental health	Based on MBS items classifications detailed in Medicare mental health services - Mental health - AIHW
MBS services	Non-mental health	All other items not classified under mental health
MBS services	GP attendances	Based on MBS services group by Broad Type of Service (BTOS): 0101-0103
MBS services	Specialist attendances	BTOS: 0200
MBS services	Allied health attendances	BTOS: 0150, 0900
DVA-funded MBS equivalent services	Mental health	Based on MBS items classifications detailed in Medicare mental health services - Mental health - AIHW Based on DVA-funded health services items detailed in Final report to the Independent Review of Past Defence and Veteran Suicides, Technical notes - AIHW
DVA-funded MBS equivalent services	Non-mental health	All other items not classified under mental health
PBS services	Mental health	N05A, N05B, N05C, N06A, N06B, N06C and N07B (Chitty et al 2023)
PBS services	Non-mental health	All other medicines not classified under mental health
Hospital admission	Mental health	Admission with a principal diagnosis from the Mental and Behavioural Disorders chapter of ICD-10-AM (F00-F99)
Hospital admission	Non-mental health	Admissions with a principal diagnosis from any other ICD-10-AM chapter, excluding F00-F99.
Hospital admission	Any Mental health	Admission with any diagnosis (principal, secondary, etc.) from the Mental and Behavioural Disorders chapter of ICD-10-AM (F00-F99)
Hospital admission	Intentional self-harm	Principal diagnosis in the range S00-T75, T79 and principal external cause code in the range X60-X84, Y87.0
ED presentation	Mental health	Presentations with a principal diagnosis from the Mental and Behavioural Disorders chapter of ICD-10-AM (F00-F99)
ED presentation	Non-mental health	Presentations with a principal diagnosis from any other ICD-10-AM chapter, excluding F00-F99.
ED presentation	Any Mental health	Presentations with any diagnosis (principal, secondary, etc.) from the Mental and Behavioural Disorders chapter of ICD-10-AM (F00-F99)

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Caution: Some readers may find parts of this content confronting or distressing

Please carefully consider your needs when reading the following information. This report contains information and statistics on suicidality and self-harm of ex-serving ADF members.

If this material raises concerns for you, support is available. Please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Defence All-hours Support Line on 1800 628 036, or Open Arms - Veterans and Families Counselling, available free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or see other ways you can seek help. Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling provides free, confidential military-aware mental health and wellbeing support. Available 24/7 to anyone who has served one day of continuous full-time service in the ADF and their immediate families.

The information included here places an emphasis on data, and as such, can appear to depersonalise the pain and loss behind the statistics. The AIHW respectfully acknowledges the individuals, families and communities affected by ADF member and veteran suicide or intentional self-harm each year in Australia.

The AIHW supports the use of the Mindframe guidelines on responsible, accurate and safe suicide and self-harm reporting. Please consider these guidelines when reporting on statistics on the monitoring of suicide and self-harm.

Health service use in the year before and after intentional self-harm among ex-serving ADF members

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