While it may be the case that many Australians are familiar with R U OK? Day, and get involved in events and activities on the second Thursday in September each year to mark the occasion, it’s important to remember that ANY day is the day to ask “R U OK?”.
Throughout the year R U OK? delivers free resources that increase the willingness and confidence of all Australians to recognise the signs someone is struggling, start a genuine conversation and lend appropriate support. R U OK? also tailors these resources to meet the needs of targeted population groups and settings.
R U OK? Day was founded in 2009 by Gavin Larkin, who tragically lost his father to suicide in 1995. Gavin (who died of non-Hodgkin’ lymphoma in 2011) wanted to spare other families the grief his family endured. Back then, talking about mental health was still very much taboo and something that was hidden for many Australians. Gavin wanted to change that— he wanted to start the conversation in workplaces, at home, in locker rooms, classrooms, and boardrooms.
He decided to create a documentary that shone a light on mental health and the importance of checking in on our loved ones. He chose to champion just one question to honour his father and protect other families from the pain his endured: Are you OK?. It’s a question that should be asked everyday.
Australians can ask in order to make a difference; no qualification or expertise is needed. While working on the documentary, Gavin realised that more action was needed. To genuinely change behaviour Australia-wide, a national campaign, involving media, government, workplaces, schools, and people from all different communities in Australia was required. It was from this realisation that R U OK? was born.
A spark of an idea has since become a nationwide community movement that encourages everyone to genuinely ask the question and have a meaningful conversation with those in their world who might be struggling. A lot has changed since 2009. Mental health and the importance of checking in with those around us is more openly discussed in both the media and in our communities, however it’s no secret that there is still work to be done.
R U OK? started as a national day of action, but it’s grown into a year-round conversation movement. People are acknowledging that you shouldn’t wait until R U OK? Day to have these conversations. Whether it’s your friend, family member, colleague, partner, or teammate, the people you care about go through life’s ups and downs every day. That’s why R U OK? is calling on everyone to Ask R U OK? Any Day because life happens every day. Regular, meaningful conversations with the people close to you can help ensure the people you care about feel supported and connected.
In 2025 R U OK? will be building on our free resources for education, workplaces and community settings. We will again hit the road on our Conversation Convoy, which travels to regional communities around the country to help Australians understand the important role they can play in looking out for their friends, family and colleagues.
When I’ve travelled on Convoy, I’ve been fortunate to visit schools across the country and while the schools and communities are all very different, the message we hear remains the same: we need to be building the skills of young people to have conversations with each other about how they’re really going. This quote from a primary school teacher about incorporating the R U OK? message throughout the year really sums it up: “Encouraging students to check in with their friends regularly helps build a culture of kindness and support. It is important for children to know that their peers always care about them, not just on special days.”
For schools, R U OK? provides the opportunity for educators to talk to students of all ages about how to support their peers. We understand starting the conversation can be tricky, and our free resources build skills and confidence including advice on what to do if someone replies, ‘no, I’m not OK’, and managing different reactions such as denial or anger.
Below is a summary of the free resources available on our website for secondary educators:
Guides and activities:
Videos:
#FriendBetter:
Since joining the team at R U OK? I have learned that suicide prevention requires the efforts of us all, not just professionals and experts. So don’t wait for ‘R U OK? Day’, make R U OK? part of any day.
Dr Hannah Brown is the Campaign Manager for Education and Young People at ‘R U OK?’. In this role, Hannah leads strategy and campaign execution to drive national awareness and engagement with R U OK? in schools, universities, and TAFE’s, through meeting young people where they are at. Hannah strives to provide young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to have R U OK? conversations and decrease the stigma around mental health.
Hannah has a PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics, and has worked in Academia, research, and teaching at the University of Newcastle.
