A new report says many families of current and serving defence personnel are frustrated with or distrusting of mental health services, and improvements are needed.
A landmark report by the National Mental Health Commission has made 23 recommendations, based on input from 3200 people in the defence community.
Changes were needed in terms of the ADF's culture, workforce, health services, training, transition to civilian life and rehabilitation services.
Report author NMHC chief Dr Peggy Brown said there was a large range of services available through Defence and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and most users accepted them as fair to excellent, but they needed to engage better with families.
"Defence and DVA need to hear the human experience a little more than they have," she told reporters in Canberra.
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"They need to actually understand how people are experiencing their services."
Between 2001 and 2014, there were 165 claims to DVA by a dependant of an ex-serving member in relation to death by suicide, with eight claims in 2015 and 2016.
When compared to men of the same age, suicide rates were 1.9 times as high for ex-serving men aged 18-24 years old and 1.5 times as high for ex-serving men aged 25-29 years old.
The report recommended the government look especially at better ways to support former members of the ADF aged 18 to 29 years, who have left the service in the last five years and who could be at risk of suicide or self-harm.
In relation to intentional self-harm, DVA says there were 986 hospitalisation events from 2000 to 2016 involving 789 individuals.
The report said the process of planning for transition to civilian life should begin on commencement with the ADF, with the aim of personnel leaving with "dignity, hope and some certainty about their future, regardless of the circumstances of their discharge".
It said there should be a study on all spending within Defence, DVA, health, human services and social services on health, welfare and disability support for current and former Defence personnel and their families, to consider whether there are better models of services.
About $200 million has been spent in the area over the past eight years.
Recruitment strategies are expected to be reviewed to ensure they aren't leading to unsuitable candidates being accepted for service.
And military leaders will be trained to ensure the chain of command does not stigmatise mental illness or deter help-seeking.
Chief of Navy Tim Barrett said senior ADF leadership supported the findings.
"To all those who serve, we must learn there is no stigma in raising issues," he said.
Veterans Affairs Minister Dan Tehan said the government would be looking at the recommendations in order to take up some of them in the May budget.
"The government is listening - this is an important piece of work," he said.
Among the possible budget options are extra spending on specialist mental health personnel such as military psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and clinical psychologists and the development of mental health centres of excellence.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.
Multicultural Mental Health Australia www.mmha.org.au.
Local Aboriginal Medical Service available from www.vibe.com.au.
