Basic training completion
Over the course of ADF enlistment, an individual undergoes assessments including medical, psychological, and fitness tests. When an individual completes enlistment, they are hired as an official member of the ADF and begin basic training at the rank of: E00 (Recruit Seaman, Private, or Aircraftman), E01 (Seaman, Private trainee or Aircraftman Trainee), or O00 (Midshipman or Officer Cadet). If an ADF member separates from the ADF at any of these ranks, then they are deemed to have not completed or progressed from basic training at the time of separation.
Around 77% of ex-serving males and 70% of ex-serving females complete basic training. The remaining 23% of ex-serving males and 30% of ex-serving females do not complete basic training.
The suicide rate among ex-serving ADF members by basic training completion status is presented in Table 13 and Figure 22. Ex-serving males who did not complete basic training have a higher suicide rate compared to those who have completed basic training (37.7 and 29.0 per 100,000 population per year). There was no statistically significant difference in the suicide rate between ex-serving females who have and have not completed basic training.
Basic training completion status | Ex-serving males: Suicide rate per 100,000 population per year | Ex-serving females: Suicide rate per 100,000 population per year |
|---|---|---|
Has completed basic training | 29.0 | 13.5 |
Has not completed basic training | 37.7 | 18.2 |
Source: AIHW analysis of linked Defence historical personnel data–PMKeyS–NDI data 1985–2022.
Figure 22: Suicide rate by basic training completion status, ex-serving males and females, 1997–2022
Source: AIHW analysis of linked Defence historical personnel data–PMKeyS–NDI data 1985–2022.
While differences in the suicide rate were observed to be higher among ex-serving males who have not completed basic training compared to those who have, this should be interpreted with caution due to the differences in age structure and length of service between these two groups.
For example, most ex-serving members who have not completed basic training are under 50 years of age and have a shorter length of service, whereas ex-serving members who have completed basic training are mostly aged 50 years and over and have had a longer length of service. Because lower suicide rates were observed among ex-serving members who are aged 50 years and over or had a longer length of service compared to younger age groups (See Age) or those with a lower length of service (See Length of Service), the differences in suicide rate by basic training completion status may be due to the differences in age structure or length of service between the groups.
Analysis by basic training completion status in the context of other ex-serving member characteristics, including age group and length of service, shows that the differences in suicide rates between basic training completion status groups are not statistically significant (See Modelling suicide rates).
Suicide rates over time by basic training completion status are not presented here due to the potential biases resulting from the differences in age structure between groups. However, suicide rates over time by basic training completion can be found in Supplementary table S7.9.
Please note, data for more recent years are subject to change; see Technical notes for further detail.
Help or support
If you need help or support, please contact:
- Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling – Phone: 1800 011 046
- Open Arms Suicide Intervention
- Defence All-hours Support Line (ASL) – Phone: 1800 628 036
- Defence Member and Family Helpline – Phone: 1800 624 608
- Defence Chaplaincy Support
- ADF Mental Health Services
- Lifeline – Phone: 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service – Phone: 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue Support Service – Phone: 1300 22 4636
For information on support provided by DVA, see: