DVA led with falling suicide rates – then I read the full report!

Dear Editor,

DVA led its latest suicide report with the welcome news that veteran suicide rates have generally declined.

But the full Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report also records 1907 suicide deaths since 1997 and shows medically separated men had 2.7 times the suicide rate of those who left voluntarily.

The newest figures are also still preliminary.

Those facts deserved equal prominence.

The Royal Commission wanted independent agencies properly funded to collect and publish this data. Veterans should not have to dig through reports to discover the harder parts of the story.

Good news should be reported.

So should the whole truth.

I expand on this at markcroxford.net/read

Mark Croxford
Founder, Veterans Count
20-year Navy veteran, and
former media and political adviser to a Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel

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