Understanding and enhancing responses to suicide crises involving current serving and ex-serving ADF members
The rate of mental ill-health and suicide death among current serving and ex-serving members of the ADF has been well described and is a significant concern. Enhanced knowledge in this area has translated into service delivery and health policy changes. However, there remains very limited understanding of suicide crisis presentations for current serving and ex-serving ADF members. This is a significant gap given an estimated 20% of transitioning ADF members report suicidal ideation or having made suicide plans or attempts. Many of these crises are attended by police and ambulance responders. While studies have focused on suicide death, there has been limited focus on suicide crisis itself, including the causes of crisis, preceding or precipitating events, crisis responses, access and barriers to crisis care, and the outcomes following interventions.
While many suicide crisis presentations will not result in a suicide death, they constitute a suicide risk factor and are associated with substantial morbidity for the serving or ex-serving ADF member and their family. Suicide crises present a key opportunity for delivering critical health and support interventions. If managed well, such interventions could have a significant positive impact on the trajectory for the individual, their family and the community.
We have an established research project that has created a linked dataset (Partners in Prevention linked dataset) of over 170,000 suicide crisis events, involving 70,000 individuals who came into contact with Queensland police or ambulance responders between 2014-2017. This dataset includes more than 10,000 records of health service contact for Defence-related personnel who experienced a suicide crisis. We have an opportunity to examine these Defence records in this globally unique dataset. A booster grant would enable us to expand the scope of the research to specifically focus on Defence-related records within the Partners in Prevention dataset. It would support the capacity to analyse and interpret the data, using the clinical, research and Defence health expertise of our investigator group. It would also enable translation of findings into meaningful service responses. The aim is to improve mental health and psychosocial outcomes for current serving and ex-serving members and their families.
The proposed research will utilise the value of available health-related datasets through analysis of the Partners in Prevention linked dataset. This dataset contains a significant number of demographic and health variables and enables identification of Defence records. We will undertake further linkage with Department of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs data to further improve our understanding of the characteristics and needs of Defence-related personnel within the Partners in Prevention linked dataset, and develop a more comprehensive understanding of their health services use.
Objectives
1. To analyse existing records of Defence-related personnel from the Partners in Prevention dataset, specifically with respect to:
a. Service demand by Defence-related personnel
b. Sociodemographic characteristics of individuals in crisis
c. Health characteristics of individuals in crisis
2. Undertake linkage with Defence records to examine:
a. Occupational characteristics of individuals in crisis
b. Utilisation of Defence health services, and pathways through Defence and public health services.
3. To translate findings into meaningful services improvements.
Report:
Benefits
This research will provide new and unique information about current serving and ex-serving ADF members who experience a suicide crisis that involves police or ambulance responders. These are complex, distressing and resource-intense situations that are very poorly understood.
- Consultation with experts and stakeholders will inform service delivery for current serving and ex-serving ADF members who experience this type of crisis.
- The investigator team includes psychiatrists currently working in Defence and in the community with current serving and ex-serving ADF members. There is a direct opportunity to influence psychiatric practice and services received by current serving and ex-serving ADF members.
