R U OK?

Day

By Adrian, Ivan, Matthew and Kailash

What is R U OK? Day?
R U OK? Day is a national event that occurs on the 2nd Thursday of September each year. This
year, marking the tenth year of R U OK? Day, it will be held on the 13th of September. R U
OK? Day reminds us to ask, “are you okay?” to those who you may be struggling in life. It is a
day that raises awareness of suicide and emphasises the fact that just asking someone, “are
you okay?” can change their life.

R U OK? Day is run by the charity R U OK?. R U OK? is a non-for-profit organisation that is
dedicated to preventing suicide. Working alongside other mental health and suicide prevention
organisations, R U OK’s vision is a world in which we are all connected and protected from
suicide. Their goals are to:

1. Boost our confidence to meaningfully connect and ask about life's ups and downs

2. Nurture our sense of responsibility to regularly connect and support others

3. Strengthen our sense of belonging because we know people are there for us
4. Be relevant, strong and dynamic
 How can schools become involved?
It’s never too young to learn that asking “are you ok?” can make a difference - and it’s a message that
needs to be taken into the classroom. Having R U OK? at school gives students the confidence to start
conversations with people struggling. It will create countless generations of people that will look out
for those who are struggling with life.

Schools can become involved in R U OK? Day via the RUOK website or the URL
https://www.ruok.org.au/join-r-u-ok-day. On the RUOK website, schools can purchase a RUOK? Day kit. There are
four types of kits you can download: School Pack, Community Pack, Work Pack and University/TAFE Pack. These
packs give basically everything that you need to participate in RUOK? Day. They provide a variety of tools from
worksheets, conversation starters, guides, posters, presentations, lessons, resources, information and much more.
All of them are helping raise awareness about R U OK? Day.

An example of something that comes in the toolkit is a Conversation Corner. This toolkit provides a detailed
overview of what a conversation corner is, how to install it and much more. A conversation corner is a space in
which people feel comfortable to talk to each other and discuss how they are going. If you do not wish to
download the Packs, you can simply do the 4 steps shown in the video. Schools can also host events and
 How asking R U OK? Can change
someone’s life
Suicide prevention is an incredibly complex issue. There are numerous amounts of people who have
tried to unravel the topic of suicide. Some of these people have developed credible theories
suggesting that there is immense power in the simple question - “Are you okay?”

Thomas Joiner, an American academic and leading expert on suicide, proposed a theory on why
people commit suicide. His theory describes the 3 forces of suicide or depression in play in
someone’s life. The first is the person thinks they’re a burden on others; the second is that they can
withstand a high degree of pain; the third is they feel isolated and don’t feel connected. It’s that lack
of connection, that feeling of not belonging, that R U OK? aims to prevent.

By asking someone how they’re feeling, if they’re okay, you can make them feel connected to other
people and life. You make them feel as if they are relevant and important because they are. You
reduce their feelings of disconnection and isolation. When you invest more time in others, you
connect with them and can see if this person is struggling. All it takes is a simple face-to-face,
meaningful conversation to make someone see that they matter and that there are better things than
suicide. It can help someone long before they consider suicide. It will change someone’s life.
Meet Justin - A conversation changed his life
How to ask if someone is okay
When you see someone that you may think is not okay or see possibly negative changes in
them, it is vital that you reach out to them. You don’t have to wait until they are in a crisis, the
sooner you ask the better the result.
Who to see if you need help
The first person you should see if you need help is any trusted adults in the area you are in. For
example, you can talk to your parent, a relative, a teacher or counsellor. They will know what to
do and can help you. It’s okay to be shy to express your feelings but it can hamper the process
of you getting help.
If you feel uncomfortable about talking to a person you know, you can visit the R U OK?
website and go to the link https://www.ruok.org.au/findhelp. This link gives you resources,
websites, including the lifeline and more if you need help. You can contact Beyond Blue to
speak with professionals, GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses and many
more. Your support network is much more widespread than you may realise.
Overall, R U OK? Day is an amazing event. It promotes well being
among communities and asks others to see how others are going. It
will drastically change suicide and depression rates. It will create a
world in which we are all connected, have the freedom to talk to
others and know that there are people looking out for us.
Resources used
● https://www.ruok.org.au/
● https://www.youthbeyondblue.com/footer/stats-and-facts
● https://headtohealth.gov.au/
● https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/topics/preventing-suicide
● https://kidshelpline.com.au/schools/sessions
● https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/topics/loneliness-isolation
● https://kidshelpline.com.au/young-adults/issues/all-about-depression
● https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/clinical-resources/suicide-self-harm/facts-about-s
uicide-in-australia
● http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/3303.0~2016~Main%
20Features~Intentional%20self-harm:%20key%20characteristics~7
● https://www.lifeline.org.au/about-lifeline/lifeline-information/statistics-on-suicide-in-aus
tralia
● https://kidshealth.org/