By Mental Health First Aid Australia
Veterans and their families can access free mental health literacy and suicide prevention training through the Mental Health Protect program, launched by Mental Health First Aid International last month.
“We know that the broader veteran community are often the first point of contact for veterans, and they will be first to recognise signs of mental health problems or psychological distress,” says Ebony Whitehouse, Acting CEO of Mental Health First Aid Australia.
“Making sure that they are equipped with the skills to recognise and respond to mental health problems and suicidal thoughts or behaviours will help to ensure no veterans fight their battle alone.”
Funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Mental Health Protect is a free mental health literacy and suicide prevention training program available to all members of the veteran community, including:
- Veterans who are ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel
- Families, friends, carers, employers, and colleagues of ex-serving and current ADF personnel
- Healthcare professionals and community members supporting veterans and their families
- Current serving ADF personnel.
The training can be delivered online, face-to-face, or a mixture of both. Using a practical, evidence-based action plan, course participants learn how to approach someone they are concerned about and initiate a conversation about those concerns. Participants also learn how to offer initial support and information, and how to encourage the person to seek professional help or other supports.
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide handed down its report to the Governor-General of Australia in October 2024, which revealed the scale of the mental health crisis facing veterans and their communities in Australia.
The report highlighted that over 20 per cent of former ADF members experience suicidal thoughts after their service – a staggering contrast to 3.3 per cent of the general population.
Ex-serving men are 26 per cent more likely to die by suicide compared to other Australian men, while ex-serving women are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as the broader Australian female population.1
Ms Whitehouse says that while many of the 122 recommendations of the Royal Commission are around structural issues and will take years to implement, immediate action is needed.
“There are urgent steps we can and must take now to support veterans and their families,” Ms Whitehouse says.
“One of the most critical is equipping veterans and their communities with the tools to recognise signs and direct those they care for to the support they need.
“This is where the Mental Health Protect program can provide a lifeline to support for veterans, ultimately aiming to save lives and improve the quality of life for those who have served.”
Anyone in the mental health and suicide prevention sector who works directly with veteran communities is eligible to participate in free Mental Health First Aid and LivingWorks training.
A stakeholder pack is also available for those who wish to share the free training opportunity with veterans in their communities.
Notes
- 1
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members who have served since 1985: suicide monitoring 1997 to 2021. 2023. Available from: Serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members who have served since 1985: suicide monitoring 1997 to 2021, About - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
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