By
Andrew Stackpool
THIRTY
per cent of men and 15 per cent of women in Australia are excessive
drinkers, figures that would be similar across the ADF. Meanwhile,
suicide is the third leading cause of deaths in the ADF with seven
or eight a year, while there is a suicide in Australia every 3.5
hours and in any given week 3 per cent of the population thinks
of suicide.
These sombre facts were key points presented to more than 200
health, personnel managers and counselling personnel at the ADF’s
inaugural Mental Health conference in Canberra from May 19-20.
Under the theme “Alcohol, Drug and Suicide Management in the ADF
– the Way Forward”, the conference explored the often-interrelated
areas of alcohol abuse and suicide.
Four speakers provided comparisons with overseas forces and experiences.
In addition, participants attended workshops and plenary sessions
to address continued management and refinement aspects of the
ADF Mental Health Strategy launched in May 2002.
Opening the conference, the Surgeon General of the ADF, Air Vice-
Marshal Bruce Short, said the aim of the conference was to reinforce
the concept of “wellness” and well-being.
It would incorporate the aspects of mental illness as a “disease”,
the family, workplace and lifestyle and recognise that it was
a matter of concern in both peace and conflict.
He said that depression was a major issue, there were Government
initiatives in place upon which the ADF was drawing and that women
were far more likely to seek help than men. This provided special
challenges for the ADF.
“We must change the stigma and perceptions about alcohol abuse
and mental health. We cannot permit any more deaths of our fine young people,”
AVM Short said. “These issues are the responsibility of everyone
in the chain of command, not just the medical staff. These are
ADF-wide problems requiring an ADF-wide response.”
Previously, people suffering with drug, alcohol or mental illnesses
were “sent away” from the command area for medical treatment.
There were limited checks in place to identify people at risk
or to offer intervention of workplace assistance.
This has now changed to primary management, including suicide
prevention, in the command/workplace area. The medical organisation
is now geared to assist the command chain in supporting individuals
at risk.
“We are now changing the mix. These are not just health problems,”
AVM Short said. “As well as clinical intervention we have initiated
processes for workplace management, considerable information is
available on the DHS web site and we have introduced ... a self-help
correspondence course of assessment and intervention.”
The conference stressed that these often-interrelated problems
go beyond the individual. They affect operations, family members,
the member’s workplace and fellow team members as well as the
reputation of the organisation.
Research since the 1991 Gulf War is producing more information
on mental health issues. A key area is that of Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder, which can appear in a member or ex-member years
after the event. If not identified this can lead to alcohol abuse,
mental problems and ultimately suicide.
AVM Short said strategies were being put in place to encourage
illicit drug users, alcohol-dependent and suicidepotential members
to seek help and for others to be aware of the symptoms these
people may show.
While the problems can never be eradicated, they can be managed
by an ADF-wide response.
