With World Suicide Prevention Day coming up on 10th September, and R U OK? Day shortly after on 12th September, a key message this year is not to wait for a special day to check in on a friend.
Meaningful conversations can happy any day of the week, especially if you sense someone is going through a hard time.
The theme for World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is “we all have a role to play” – similar to R U OK? in that it calls on everyone to start a conversation to reduce suicide.
As Suicide Prevention Australia notes, nearly 10 million people have been affected by suicide in Australia alone. And two in three suicides are male.
Together with World Mental Health Day on 10th October, which calls on workplaces to prioritise mental health, these ‘special days’ are an opportunity for anyone to check out and use the Know Your Man Facts toolkit on Men’s Mental Health.
The Know Your Man Facts toolkit on Men's Mental Health addresses the issues impacting so many men, and looks at what they can do to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
There is a full presentation with 32 slides that can be tailored to your audience and timeframe. Some ideas for using the talks include:
- Get one or two people in the workplace to give a talk on men's mental health.
- Divide up each section and write responses on a white board. Each presentation comes with interactive speaker notes.
- Hold a morning tea, lunch or afternoon event and give the presentation after, during or before refreshments.
- Print out the poster and distribute it to your audience or display it in a prominent area.
- Share the 10 x social media Know Your Man Facts and encourage others to do the same.
Another topic which remains highly relevant to suicide prevention is the importance of mateship. We know that men who are socially connected actually live longer, however it is also common for blokes to lose touch with mates as they get older. The Mateship + Men’s Health Toolkit shows why mates are so important, and how learning to help a mate doing it tough can save lives.
Check out the Mateship + Men’s Health Know Your Man Facts toolkit.
Another useful resource developed by the Australian Men’s Health Forum – who developed the Know Your Man Facts campaign – is a guide on having difficult conversations with someone you believe is going through tough times.
It’s called How to Help A Mate Doing it Tough and was created from men's health workers with extensive knowledge and experience of having conversations with men. It features our simple ABC guide to helping a mate:
- Ask + Listen: Listen like a pro and help him get it off his chest.
- Build a Plan: When he's ready help him think about the actions he can take.
- Connect to Help: Check in soon to see how he's travelling and find out if he's getting help.
These resources are tailored to helping men, as men account for 75% of all suicides in Australia. The Australian Men’s Health Forum wants to see Government develop a Male Suicide Prevention Action Plan, which reviews existing services and identifies specific actions that tackle male suicide.
View: Time to Act on Male Suicide
R U OK? has developed free resources to support its broader message of asking R U OK? ANY Day. Visit R U OK?
Suicide Prevention Australia has resources to highlight World Suicide Prevention Day and its message, We all have a role to play. Visit Suicide Prevention Australia
World Mental Health Day organisers also have a 2024 campaign toolkit and are encouraging groups to share their events and initiatives ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10th October. Visit the World Mental Health Day website.