It’s the question Australians are being taught to ask as the opener to having more conversations about mental health with people they are worried about.

August 1, 2017

Australians are to be taught how to better discuss mental health issues.

Suicide prevention group R U OK?’s new travelling education program, the Conversation Convoy, will boost people’s confidence and encourage them to talk about mental health.

R U OK? chief executive Brendan Maher says “the ultimate aim is to give people more skills and more confidence to navigate a conversation with someone they’re worried about”.

“Suicide is one of the biggest challenges of our generation,” he told AAP.

“We’re losing eight Australians a day.”

Maher wants people to start conversations before small problems become big problems.

“The more scaffolding people have around them and the more connected they feel, the less likely they are to take their own lives,” he said.

R U OK?’s Conversation Convoy will teach communities across Australia four simple steps to reaching out to someone they see is struggling – “ask, listen, encourage action and check in”.

The program follows a survey by R U OK? that found one in three Australians aren’t comfortable discussing mental health issues and asking “are you okay?”.

“Quite often it is a difficult conversation,” says Maher.

“Quite often people don’t know where to start.”

The Conversation Convoy starts it’s journey in Uluru on Tuesday and will travel to 20 regional and metropolitan communities before heading to Cairns for R U OK? Day on September 14.

Australian celebrities Ben Lee, Khan Porter, Commando Steve, Daniel Conn, Steven Oliver, Travis Collins and Jodhi Meares will join the convoy to help R U OK? deliver its message.

R U OK? is a suicide prevention group that encourages Australians to connect with those about them and support people struggling with life.