CANBERRA, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Former female members of the Australian Defense Force (ADF) are more than twice as likely to commit suicide as the general population, a report has found.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on Wednesday published its fifth annual update on suicide among current and former ADF members, revealing that between 1997 and 2020, there were 1,600 certified deaths by suicide among members with ADF service since Jan. 1, 1985.
Compared with the Australian population, suicide rates (after adjusting for age) between 1997 and 2020 were: 27 percent higher for ex-serving ADF males, and 107 percent (or 2.07 times) higher for ex-serving ADF females.
The rate of suicide for ex-serving ADF females was lower than the rate for ex-serving ADF males.
By comparison, permanent male members of the ADF were 49 percent less likely to die of suicide than the general population in that period.
The study identified presence of a mood (affective) disorder, such as depression and anxiety disorders, and problems in spousal relationship circumstances as the most common risk factors for ADF members who took their own lives.
"Of the risk factors examined, psychosocial risk factors were the most commonly identified among ADF males and females who died by suicide, followed by mental and behavioral disorders and natural disease," said the media release on Wednesday.
It said identifying common risk factors highlights the areas of a person's life experience that may need additional attention to provide the most effective suicide prevention interventions.
In August, the Royal Commission into Defense and Veteran Suicide handed down its interim report, making 13 recommendations to the Australian government, including simplifying and harmonizing veteran compensation and rehabilitation legislation. ■