This is the eighth annual update report monitoring suicides among veterans (permanent, reserve and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members). Monitoring the number, trends and rates of suicide is key to understanding the populations at risk and for directing suicide prevention activities. This annual update report presents the latest available data on suicide among veterans in the form of data visualisation panels. This work has been commissioned by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
- Cat. no: PHE 360
Key findings
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Suicide is the leading cause of death for younger ex-serving members as for all younger Australians
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The suicide rate among ex-serving males is higher than that of permanent or reserve males, though rates vary by subgroup
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The suicide rate for ex-serving males and females has been generally decreasing in recent years
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Ex-serving males who separate for involuntary medical have higher rates of suicide than males who separate voluntarily