Nine in 10 people in Australia are aware of R U OK?1, but awareness alone doesn’t start conversations.
This R U OK?Day – Thursday 10 September – the focus is on helping more people feel confident to reach out when someone is on their mind.
Across homes, workplaces, schools, sporting clubs and communities, people are talking more openly about life’s ups and downs and the importance of staying connected.
Yet some might still hesitate to start a conversation because they’re worried about saying the wrong thing or aren’t sure how to help.
R U OK? CEO Lachlan Searle said that’s why building confidence is such an important focus.
“From the Torres Strait to Tasmania, people have embraced the R U OK? Message and made it their own. They have helped create a culture where reaching out to someone you’re concerned about is becoming more and more part of everyday life.
“This movement has never belonged to R U OK? alone,” said Mr Searle. “It belongs to everyone who has downloaded a free resource, hosted a morning tea, shared a post, joined an event or, most importantly, made time for a meaningful conversation with someone who needed support,
someone they are care about.”
R U OK?Day has become one of the nation’s most widely recognised awareness days and, together with year-round R U OK? activities, has helped more people understand the important role conversations can play in supporting mental wellbeing and suicide prevention.
With such high awareness of R U OK?, Mr Searle said the opportunity now is to help more people feel comfortable starting a conversation when it matters.
“Awareness matters because it helps create a shared understanding that reaching out to someone you’re concerned about is a positive thing to do,” said Mr Searle.
“But awareness is only the beginning. We want people to show that they care and act on that concern by asking the question, ‘are you OK?’. A conversation doesn’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to have all the answers. Often, simply taking the time to ask and listen can make a
meaningful difference and show that person that you truly care.”
Research has found that people exposed to R U OK? are up to six times more likely to reach out to someone experiencing personal difficulties than those who have not been exposed to the campaign.
Mr Searle says the impact of the R U OK? movement isn’t measured by one day each year. It’s built through the everyday moments when people reach out, listen and help others feel supported and connected.
“If you’re taking part in an R U OK?Day activity today, think about what comes next. How will you continue to build connection in your workplace, school or community? How will you make checking in part of the way you look out for the people in your world year round?”
R U OK? Ambassador Allison Langdon, a close friend of late R U OK? founder Gavin Larkin, has witnessed the profound cultural shift in how we understand and talk about mental health and suicide.
“When Gav first shared the idea, we were living in a very different Australia,” said Ms Langdon. “There was still a great deal of stigma, and many people worried that talking about mental health and suicide might make things worse.”
Ms Langdon was there in the earliest days of the conversation movement and has spent almost two decades championing the message.
“Today, we understand that when these conversations are had safely, and responsibly, they can have an incredibly positive impact,” said Ms Langdon. “We know that connection matters, and we need to keep putting that understanding into practice by noticing the people around us, trusting our instincts and starting conversations.”
R U OK? research shows some people may hesitate to start a conversation because they are unsure whether asking will help or worried about saying the wrong thing. Yet nine in ten of those who had been asked, ‘are you OK?’ report feeling supported and positive about the experience.
CEO Lachlan Searle said this year’s message, If you’re thinking it, Ask R U OK? Any Day, calls on Australians to move beyond hesitation, to back themselves, and to take action.
“If someone’s on your mind, trust yourself. Ask the question. Listen with an open mind, encourage action where needed and remember to check back in again.”
Maryanne Larkin, wife of the late Gavin Larkin and one of the original champions of the R U OK? message, said the movement’s success belongs to the community.
“Gav’s hope for R U OK? was simple,” recalled Mrs Larkin. “He wanted to make it easier for people to reach out to someone they cared about. I don’t think either of us could have imagined that one day, nine in ten Australians would recognise R U OK?.
“What makes me most proud isn’t the awareness itself. It’s what that awareness represents,” said Mrs Larkin. “It’s the neighbour who checked in. The colleague who noticed that a coworker’s behaviour had changed. The mate who sent a text. The family member who made time for a conversation.
“The message has never been about one day. It’s about creating a culture where we look out for one another, any day of the year.
If you’re thinking it, Ask R U OK? Any Day. Because a conversation could change a life.
