Sample articles and resources

• The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is in its final stages, with the final report due to the Governor-General on 9 September 2024.
• The Royal Commission is determined to find practical solutions to address the cultural and systemic issues that are contributing to the suicide crisis – and to drive down the high rates of suicide and suicidality in the Defence and veteran community, once and for all.
• People’s lived experience of suicide and suicidality in a military context has been at the heart of this inquiry since its beginning.
• The Royal Commission has heard from people with lived experience through 5,889 submissions, some 900 private sessions, through hours of productive stakeholder and community events, and as witnesses at our 12 public hearings across the country.
• We also heard firsthand from serving Navy, Army and Air Force about the opportunities and challenges of service life during more than two dozen visits to Defence bases nationwide.
• The Royal Commission will soon deliver to the Governor-General a special book honouring the powerful, personal stories of those with lived experience who have bravely come forward and participated in this landmark inquiry. It will then be up to Government to decide if and when this book is formally tabled in Federal Parliament. The Royal Commission will release the book publicly once that occurs.
• The Royal Commission will deliver its final report, comprising robust findings and practical recommendations to address the complex cultural and systemic issues contributing to the national tragedy of Defence and veteran suicide, to the Governor-General on 9 September this year.
• The Royal Commission had planned to deliver a special report to the Governor-General in June this year, detailing a proposal for a powerful new entity to follow the Royal Commission. This new entity would provide independent oversight - including monitoring the implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations - and help ensure that the prevention of Defence and veteran suicide and suicidality is a paramount consideration for Government and relevant agencies; however, the Royal Commission has decided to delay delivery of the special report to allow the Commonwealth appropriate time to respond to matters arising during procedural fairness processes. As such, the recommendation for establishing a new entity will instead be included as part of the Final Report, to be delivered to the Governor-General on 9 September this year.
• In the lead up to the final report, the Royal Commission will keep shining a light on this national crisis – and we encourage every Australian to take an active interest in the health and wellbeing of our sailors, soldiers and aviators, and their families.

Final stages of the Royal Commission:

After nearly three years of collecting evidence and submissions, the Royal Commission is working on the Final Report and special publications. Chair Nick Kaldas provides an update on the final stages of the Royal Commission. #DVSRC

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Recent research:

Royal Commission research has found that males serving in the permanent forces are 30% more likely to die by suicide than the employed Australian population. Commissioner Peggy Brown said "To be an employer of choice, Defence must embrace a duty of care and take action to reduce injury and suicide behaviour." Read more.

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Research conducted by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research reveals veterans are at higher risk of a suicide-related contact with police or paramedics than the general adult population. These findings indicate that police and paramedics play a key role in the first response to suicidality of veterans. Find out more. #DVSRC

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Royal Commission completes private sessions with lived experience witnesses

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has completed its final private sessions with past and present Australian Defence Force personnel, as well as Defence families, touched by military suicide.

In total, nearly 900 private sessions have been completed over almost three years – about one-third of those in the last six months alone.

Private sessions allow participants to share their powerful, personal stories with a Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner in a safe, confidential setting.

Commission Chair Nick Kaldas said private sessions have played a vital role in the inquiry.

“These sessions have proven essential to focussing our inquiries on the cultural and systemic issues that are failing past and present Defence personnel, and their families, and contributing to this suicide crisis,” Commissioner Kaldas said. “But we also know the validation and healing these sessions have provided to many veterans, and their families, who have been impacted by suicide and suicidality.”

“We are tremendously grateful to all those who have made a submission, either publicly or in private. Their submissions will help inform the recommendations we will make to Government to enable it to address this national tragedy, once and for all.”

For more information, visit the Royal Commission’s website or call 1800 329 095.

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