As the nation prepares to celebrate R U OK? Day 2024 with a cup of tea and piece of cake, citizen-led campaign group Australians for Mental Health says: no, we’re definitely not OK, so what are we going to do about it?
“The mental health crisis in Australia demands a collective response – empty sentiments are not enough, we need action,“ said Chris Gambian, Executive Director of Australians for Mental Health.
“R U OK? has been a great initiative to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health illness, and it has worked: we’ve never been more aware and willing to talk about mental health challenges.”
“But let’s face it, Australians are answering with a resounding NO, and after years of well-meaning effort, the problem is getting worse, not better.”
“When the cups of tea are drunk and the photo-ops are finished, Australians are still heading back to workplaces that over-stressed, where bullying and harassment is normalised, where the needs of those of us experiencing mental challenges are not being met.”
“Our kids still go to schools that are not designed for neurodiversity, they still get trapped in social media platforms designed to keep them in toxic online spaces, and far too many are still experiencing maltreatment that sets them up for a lifetime of mental illness.”
“We still accept racism and sexism and homophobia as inevitable or normal. We still fail to listen to each other, with curiosity rather than judgement.”
“Our airwaves still reward bullies that aim to divide us, rather than uniting us and asking us to connect with our common humanity.”
“And it is still too hard to access mental healthcare.”
Gambian pointed to figures showing the mental health crisis in Australia was particularly prevalent in the youth with the annual Youth Barometer finding 98 of young Australians reported having at least one feeling of anxiety or pessimism in the past 12 months, ABS figures showing a 50 percent rise in 12 month mental health disorders, and a Lancett report showing the state of youth mental health was now in a “dangerous phase”.
“Mental illness is not just a private, personal struggle that emerges outside of a context. People who face mental illnesses, or love people with mental health challenges are not other people, they are all of us.”
“By accepting collective responsibility for shaping Australia as a place where every mind matters and every Australian can thrive, we can move past tokenism and towards lasting solutions.”
“That needs to start with every Minister, from the Prime Minister down, genuinely making mental health and wellbeing a first order priority, seriously challenging the policies, norms and attitudes that are causing Australians harm, and looking for opportunities across the whole of government to positively drive mental wellbeing.”
Chris Gambian is available for interview. To organise please contact Simon Black on 0420 488 219 or [email protected]
About Australians for Mental Health:
Australians for Mental Health was founded in 2014 to campaign for fundamental change in the way the country thinks and acts about mental health. Our mission is to ensure that Australia starts putting mental health at the heart of our national life.