RMA-Red

 

Amendment Statement of Principles

concerning

SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
(Balance of Probabilities)

(No. 34 of 2018)

The Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Amendment Statement of Principles under subsections 196B(3) and (8) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

 

Dated  2 March 2018

 

 

 

 

 

The Common Seal of the
Repatriation Medical Authority
was affixed to this instrument
at the direction of:

 

 

Professor Nicholas Saunders AO

Chairperson

 

 

 

Contents

1 Name

2 Commencement

3 Authority

4 Application

5 Amendment

 


1               Name

This is the Amendment Statement of Principles concerning suicide and attempted suicide (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 34 of 2018).

2               Commencement

              This instrument commences on 2 April 2018.

3               Authority

This instrument is made under subsections 196B(3) and (8) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

4               Application

This instrument applies to a claim to which section 120B of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 or section 339 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.

5               Amendment

The Statement of Principles concerning suicide and attempted suicide and death from attempted suicide No. 66 of 2016, as amended, is amended in the following manner:

 

Section

Amendment

9(8)

Replace the existing factor in subsection 9(8) with the following:

experiencing a category 2 stressor within the ten years before the suicide or the attempted suicide;

Note 1:  A category 2 stressor can arise in a variety of circumstances connected with service.  Such circumstances can arise during the course of service, as a result of separation from service and the conditions associated with that separation, and in the transition to civilian life in the years following separation.

Note 2:               category 2 stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.

9(8a)

Delete the existing factor in subsection 9(8a).

Schedule 1 - Dictionary

Replace the existing definition of "category 2 stressor" with the following:

category 2 stressor means one of the following negative life events, the effects of which are chronic in nature and cause the person to feel ongoing distress, concern or worry:

(a)     being socially isolated and unable to maintain friendships or family relationships, due to physical location, language barriers, disability, medical illness or psychiatric symptomatology;

(b)     experiencing a problem with a long-term relationship including the break-up of a close personal relationship, the need for marital or relationship counselling, marital separation or divorce;

(c)     having concerns in the work or school environment including ongoing disharmony with fellow work or school colleagues, perceived lack of social support within the work or school environment, perceived lack of control over tasks performed and stressful workloads, experiencing demotion at work, or experiencing bullying in the workplace or school environment;

(d)     experiencing serious legal issues including being detained or held in custody, ongoing involvement with the police concerning violations of the law, or court appearances associated with personal legal problems;

(e)     having severe financial hardship including loss of employment, long periods of unemployment, foreclosure on a property, or bankruptcy;

(f)      having a family member or significant other experience a major deterioration in their health; or

(g)     being a full-time caregiver to a family member or significant other with a severe physical, mental or developmental disability.

Note: significant other is also defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.