Inclusion & Engagement
Thursday, 10 September 2026 is R U OK?Day but we know that the people around us go through life’s ups and downs every day.
R U OK? is a national suicide prevention charity and registered public health promotion that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times.
R U OK? encourages people to invest more time in their personal relationships and building the capacity of informal support networks – friends, family and colleagues - to be alert to those around them, have a conversation if they identify signs of distress or difficulty and connect someone to appropriate support, long before they're in crisis.
Life's ups and downs happen to all of us. People can experience things like relationship breakdowns, financial difficulties, health issues or periods of major change at work, home or in life.
The people in your world won’t always tell you if something’s troubling them, so it’s important that you make asking, ‘are you OK?’ a part of your everyday relationships with friends, family, teammates and colleagues.
The earlier you give someone an opportunity to open up to you, the sooner they can find appropriate support or, if needed, professional help and the greater the chance that together, you can stop small problems from becoming bigger ones.
R U OK? was founded in 2009 by Gavin Larkin who tragically lost his father to suicide in 1995. To honour his father and try to protect other families from the pain his had endured, Gavin chose to champion just one question – ‘are you OK?’.
He passionately advocated the message that a conversation could change a life, even as cancer ended his in 2011.
Gavin’s legacy is a national conversation movement that focuses on building the motivation, confidence, and skills of all Australians to have a meaningful conversation with family, friends and colleagues who might be struggling with life and connect them to appropriate support long before they’re in crisis.
You can watch Gavin's story on Australian Story via the link below:
R U OK? is not a crisis support or counselling service and our website is not a substitute for professional care.
If you need professional support, please contact your doctor, local health centre or one of the services listed below. Family and friends can also call upon these services for advice and assistance on how to support someone who is struggling with life.
Immediate support:
Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/urgent-help
Suicide Call Back Service: https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/
MensLine Australia: https://mensline.org.au/
Kids Helpline: https://www.kidshelpline.com.au/
13 Yarn: https://www.13yarn.org.au/
Q Life: https://qlife.org.au/