Painaustralia is Australia’s leading pain advocacy body working to improve the quality of life of people living with pain, their families and carers, and to minimise the social and economic burden of pain on individuals and the community.
Media Release
Painaustralia welcomes new veteran suicide prevention commission
6 FEBRUARY 2020
Painaustralia has welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement of a national commissioner for defence and veteran suicide prevention.
Painaustralia National Patron, Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d) has welcomed this announcement. “As Chief of our Defence Forces for many years, I witnessed the impact of pain on hundreds of personnel and saw first-hand its significant role in changing the life trajectory of many young people in the military – imposing disability and a life of ongoing challenge to function and participate in society and community.”
“As a country we need to take a more strategic national approach to a growing and complex epidemic that affects millions of our people, and the Prime Minister’s announcement will take us one step closer to alleviating the burden of chronic pain on thousands of veterans and their families and carers,” Sir Angus Houston said.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, between 2002–2017 the age-adjusted rate of suicide in ex-serving men was 18% higher than in Australian men. Many factors are associated with higher risk for suicide in veterans, with chronic pain an often overlooked one. A US study found that moderate and severe pain over the course of a year increased the risk of a suicide attempt in veterans, even after considering other risk factors.i
Veteran and Invictus Games competitor and Painaustralia Champion, Pete Rudland, knows first-hand the impact of chronic pain. Pete joined the Army in 1989 and was medically discharged recently. In 2010 he survived a Blackhawk helicopter crash, but the fatal accident left him with bleeding on the brain, organ damage and broken bones in most of the major parts of his body.
“The mental health of veterans is receiving increasing attention but what is not often highlighted is the extent to which mental health problems, and post-traumatic stress in particular, are underpinned by a pain condition that becomes chronic and disastrous if not well managed,” Pete said.
Painaustralia CEO, Carol Bennett, welcomed the announcement “Australia is facing a pain epidemic. With over 3.24 million people living with pain every day, we need support across as many areas as we can get. Pain costs our country a staggering $140 billion every year, yet people living with chronic pain including thousands of veterans struggle with limited access to options, with doctors and consumers continuing to rely heavily on prescription opioids to manage what is a multi-faceted, complex condition that needs more sophisticated responses,” Ms Bennett said.
“The Morrison Ministry was the first in the world to support the development of a National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management, currently being considered by the Council of Australian Governments. With the announcement of the new Commission, we have another opportunity towards ensuring that Australia will lead the world in implementing best practice strategies to tackle chronic pain, and minimise the huge toll pain takes on our veterans and all Australians,” Ms. Bennett said.
END
About Painaustralia
Painaustralia is Australia’s peak national pain advocacy body working to improve the quality of life of people living with pain, their families and carers, and to minimise the social and economic burden of pain on individuals and the community.
National Patron
Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston AK, AFC (Ret’d)
Media enquiries
Priyanka Rai 0423341017 or media@painaustralia.org.au
i Lisham Ashrafioun et al. The Association of Pain Intensity and Suicide Attempts Among Patients Initiating Pain Specialty Services. The Journal of Pain. July 2019 Volume 20, Issue 7, Pages 852–859. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2019.01.012
23 October 2019 Painaustralia - Putting pain services on the map
23 October 2019 Minister for Health the Hon Greg Hunt MP - Supporting people with chronic pain to access services
Painaustralia in the news
The Guardian-16 February 2020
The Guardian-15 February 2020
The Age-6 February 2020
The Sydney Morning Herald-4 February 2020
10 News-23 January 2020
Researchers at the University of Sydney have used human stem cells to make pain-killing neurons that provide lasting relief in mice, without side effects, in a single treatment. Prof Paul Glare interviewed https://buff.ly/2U0Fwe9 ( also aired on Channel 10 News)
Your Life Choices- 17 January 2020
ABC News- 29 December 2019
Australian Women's Health- 4 December 2019
ABC NEWS- 3 December 2019
Daily Telegraph- 30 November 2019
Daily Telegraph- 19 November 2019
Herald Sun- 16 November 2019
Hospital and Healthcare - 14 November 2019
Croakey independent, in-depth social journalism for health - 7 November 2019
7 News - November 2019
itK - Official Journal of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia- October/November 2019
PHNEWS- 24 October 2019
Senior AU - 23 October 2019
Latest Submissions
ENEWS Issue 93
- Senate Inquiry on Current barriers to patient access to medicinal cannabis in Australia from Painaustralia February 2020 Download the submission
- Submission to RACGP REd Book from Painaustralia February 2020 Download the submission
- Consultation on National Obesity Strategy, submission from Painaustralia December 2019 Download the submission
- Royal Commission into Disability November 2019 Download the submission
- IASP's Proposed New Definition of Pain Released for Comment September 2019 Download the submission
- Submission from Painaustralia to Independent Review of Nursing Education Download the submission
- Proposal for new aged care funding instrument Consultation May 2019 Download the submission
- PBS Improvements Process_Medicines Status Website From Painaustralia April 2019 Download the submission
- Medical Benefits Schedule Review: Draft Report from the Pain Management Clinical Committee From Painaustralia April 2019 Download the submission
- Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health_Submission from Painaustralia April 2019 Download the submission
- TGA Spinal Implants reclassification Consultation_Submission from Painaustralia March 2019 Download the submission
- TGA prescription medication under evaluation Consultation_Submission from Painaustralia March 2019 Download the submission
- ACRE Draft Prescribing Guidance-Non-Cancer Pain_Submission from Painaustralia March 2019 Download the submission
- Royal Commission into Aged Care Submission from Painaustralia February 2019 Download the submission
- TGA Medical Devices Consultation Submission from Painaustralia February 2019 Download the submission
- Review of Early Release of Superannuation Benefits: Furthers consultation and draft proposals February 2019 Download the submission
- Submission to Victorian Royal Commission into Mental Health January 2019 Download the submission
- A message from the CEO
- Take Home Naloxone Pilot Launched
- Descending the Analgesic Ladder
- New Patient Resource for Hospital Discharge
- Research on impact of chronic pain on brain
- Submissions and Policy Updates
- Out and About
- In the media
- Guest Contribution: Sarah and Angela, co-founders of the Painspace App
