More pieces needed to complete the puzzle

THE Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report into former and serving ADF personnel holds so many pieces of a puzzle, yet completing the picture still seems an almost impossible pursuit. The latest AIHW study has uncovered that the suicide rate for women in the military under 30 years is three times higher compared to the general femaile population.

But the issues behind were not related to the most likely suggested causes related to exposure to risk or war , but more complex associations with depression, relationship issues and suicidce ideation.

One of the puzzle pieces suggested personnel leaving military service involuntarily through medical issues were more at risk of suicide than the general population, more so if they were junior in rank with less than one year of service.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner Gwen Cherne said the royal commission into veteran suicide was critical, as was AIHW research into the factors of suicide, to better tailor support.

“To families the loss of a loved one is devastating, that loss sits like a heavy weight deep in our core and everyone feelsit,” Ms Cherne who lost her own husband to suicide in 2017 said.

She added: “Sometimes we don’t know why someone takes their own life, there isn’t always a clear reason, it could be a combination of factors both within and outside of their control and related or unrelated to their service.”

And while the report helps identify more pieces of the puzzle, much more sustained work is needed to reduce the risks to both former and serving ADF members.