This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A special investigation has found that 41 military personnel and veterans have taken their own lives this year, the same as the number of Australians who were killed in Afghanistan during 13 years of war.

Grieving families of those lost say they might still be alive today if they had received adequate support from the Australian defence force and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, News Corps’ investigative report says.

It says a high number of Australian soldiers return from war zones depressed, anxious and in despair but unable to find help.

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Families who lost loved ones have spoken out in the report to highlight the plight of military men and women at risk.

Almost all of those lost had been deployed to overseas operations, including Iraq, East Timor, Afghanistan or served on navy ships on border patrol.

The report says the families’ concerns are backed by former chief of army Peter Leahy, who said the government needed to step up and own the problem.

“The number of suicides and the incidence of despair, depression and broken lives among our veteran community is a national shame,” the retired lieutenant-general said.

The investigation found that families are forced to look after sick and suicidal veterans with no offer of help or training from the defence force, and charity groups are also having to fill the welfare void.

It also found the department-administered system set up to help injured veterans after they leave service is too complicated, legalistic and slow, with some veterans waiting four years or more to receive entitlements.

A Department of Veterans’ Affairs spokeswoman, Stephanie Hodson, said the department, defence and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare were conducting research to establish robust figures of suicide prevalence in the serving and ex-serving communities.

“We will do anything we can to prevent any suicide that we possibly can,” Hodson said.

• In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here

