Addressing a ‘critical issue’ on R U OK? Day

With the  rise in mental health concerns among Australian youth, bringing mental health out into the open and having important discussions is critical.

R U OK? Day, which has been around since 2009, encourages the nation to ask those around us ‘R U OK?’ to help people feel more supported and heard in their mental health struggles, no matter how big or small.

Statistics from the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020-2022) indicates a concerning increase in mental health issues among young Australians, which has continued to rise since the COVID-19 pandemic.

A 2023 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that mental health conditions are a leading cause of disease burden in children aged 5 to 14.

In youth aged 16 to 24, a 2020-2022 Australian Bureau of Statistics report showed nearly two in five experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months. State data for WA aligns with these national trends.

A decade ago, the 2013-14 Young Minds Matter survey reported 14 per cent of Australian children aged 4 to 11 experienced a mental health disorder, with these figures expected to be much higher for 2024.

Constable Care Foundation (CCF) is tackling the critical issue of declining child and adolescent mental health with its growing list of safety and social education programs as part of its harm prevention mission for Western Australian children and young people.

Offered by the Foundation’s youth branch, Youth Choices, a mental health-focused program called ‘Broken’ kicks off with a live theatre show telling the story of one teenager’s descent into silent depression. The program uses interactive theatre to encourage secondary school-aged participants to recognise the early signs of mental illness and seek help.

CCF chief executive Ian Anstee said the program aims to destigmatise mental illness in young people and give them real-life strategies to help each other and raise the alarm with a responsible adult.

“Bringing mental health out into the open and having those important discussions, arming a young person with this knowledge and these skills, could one day save a life,” Mr Anstee said.

“We spread the message that it is not weak to be feeling depressed or anxious and any talk of suicide should be taken seriously. We give young people strategies for how to talk about it and how to respond.

“We don’t just do a talk and hand out flyers either. Our highly trained facilitators get young people engaged in role-playing and actively problem-solving so the lesson sticks. Crucially, we support a whole-school approach to the content we deliver, both before and after the show.”

‘The first step’

Asking ‘R U OK?’ is just “the first step” to help young people open up about mental health, according to The Y WA CEO Dr Tim McDonald.

“We need more initiatives to reduce the stigma often associated with mental health and to promote open conversations, ensuring that young people feel empowered to seek help and support for one another,” Dr McDonald said.

The Y has developed initiatives for young people such as ‘Inside Our Minds’, a series of short films providing a platform for young people to share their struggles.

“These initiatives are vital because they tackle stigma head-on and create spaces where young people feel encouraged to speak up about their mental health. They show that asking ‘R U OK?’ is just the beginning of a broader movement towards understanding and support,” Dr Tim McDonald said.

zero2hero chief executive and founder Ashlee Harrison said in Australia we lose one young person to suicide every single day.

"Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians under the age of 44," she said.

The Pilbara and Goldfields regions have some of the highest rates of self-harm and suicide in the country. There is a shortage of mental health and prevention services in the region, particularly for those aged 12 and younger.

"Because of these alarming facts, we believe it’s more important than ever before, to ask a mate if they’re okay," Ms Harrison said. 

Family-centered care

Ronald McDonald House Charities WA plays a unique role in enabling, facilitating and supporting family-centered care within the Western Australian maternity, child and adolescent health systems, working together with Perth Children’s Hospital and King Edward Memorial Hospital supporting family wellbeing.

RMHC WA offers families the opportunity to book one-on-one wellness sessions with its wellbeing coordinator, Tina Baldwin. Ms Baldwin has been supporting the mental wellbeing of Western Australians for over 40 years, volunteering with Lifeline where she has taken over 30,000 calls helping tens of thousands of people at a time when they needed it most.

“My role is to help create a safe and friendly environment for families staying at RMHC WA by delivering one-on-one sessions that look to aid as they navigate challenging times and find ways in which we can better support,” Ms Baldwin said.

“These one-hour sessions aim to promote holistic wellbeing among our families, creating a safe and friendly environment to better understand how we can support each family."

In addition, RMHC WA offers workshops throughout the year, including an upcoming workshop in October on grief, loss and domestic violence.

Ms Baldwin said asking ‘R U OK?’ validates the other person’s feelings and gives them an opportunity to open up about how they feel. “It’s about listening, it’s not about giving advice, just to let them know I am here if you would like to have a chat, coffee or even just sit, and our conversation is confidential,” Ms Baldwin said.

She said that our digitally connected world could be a contributing factor to the loneliness and social isolation young people are experiencing.

“There is no doubt that social media and digital life has impacted loneliness and isolation. It is easier to say something to someone via our digital devices because the other person does not need to respond unless they choose to do so, but what we might say in that message can be harmful,” she said.

“This is what has had a huge increase in bullying, particularly in our younger generations, with the increase in suicide, self-harm and depression. This is very much due to isolation and loneliness. In years past families sat down and ate together, no devices to be seen, instead we had conversations, we laughed, we cried.”