Real Mates Talk
Campaigns
Save Aussie Men
Last week, the Australian Men’s Health Forum launched a new campaign – Save Aussie Men – calling on the Morrison Government to develop a national plan to tackle male suicide in Australia.
You can support this campaign in two ways:
1. By sending a personal message to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Government, asking them to tackle male suicide head-on via the Save Aussie Men webpage.
2. By passing on this message about the Save Aussie Men campaign to everyone in your network who wants to get involved and help us prevent male suicide in Australia.
Suicide in Australia kills 9 people a day in Australia, with 7 being male and 2 being female.
But while over 75% of male suicides are men, the majority of suicide prevention services the Government funds are better at tackling female suicide.
The Save Aussie Men campaign aims to address this imbalance.
Throughout December Australian Men’s Health Forum will be collecting messages to the Prime Minister through the Save Aussie Men website and passing them onto the government to ensure that the national drive to prevent suicide, includes funded action plans that specifically target men.
Click here to find out more information about this great campaign.
#AreYouBoggedMate
Are you bogged mate? is all about helping country blokes talk about mental health and suicide while spreading awareness about depression in the bush.
Depression in the bush is a lot like getting bogged in the mud. It might have been just a sticky patch of the road or paddock where the vehicle stopped moving, maybe you needed low range or to winch yourself out. But what happens when you get properly bogged? When it’s down to the running boards, sitting on the chassis, you are not getting out of this one easily – that’s the kind of bogged we mean.
Click here to find out more information aboutt this great campaign.
#HowAreYouDad
New fathers also need support to maintain their mental wellbeing
For many parents the birth of a baby is a happy time, but for some, it can be difficult.
Evidence shows more than 1 in 8 mothers may experience mental wellbeing issues in the period of time around childbirth.
Less well known, is that up to 1 in 10 fathers may also also experience issues with their mental wellbeing when their partner is pregnant or, after the birth of their child.
To find out more about this fantastic campaign, click here.
#DearMind
Taking some ‘me time’ is important. And it also helps strengthen your mental wellbeing.
Your mental wellbeing is the unique way that you handle your emotions, respond to stress and also your general outlook on life. Having a healthy sense of mental wellbeing has many benefits. It lifts your mood, promotes resilience in difficult situations and helps you get the most out of life. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live or how you’re feeling – taking a few moments for yourself each day will help you be a happier and more resilient you.
This Queensland Government campaign is focused on helping you improve your mental health and wellbeing. Click here to head to the website for more information.
Gotcha 4 Life
Building mental fitness, social connection, emotional muscle and resilience.
Gotcha4Life was established to reverse the tide of declining mental health and suicide throughout Australia.
Gotcha4Lilfe is a non-profit foundation dedicated to taking action and having a positive outcome on mental health.
This is a powerful organisation with one of their main focuses being men’s mental health.
Gotcha4Life highlights the importance of Prevention through Connection and raise awareness of the importance of identifying a close friend in your life, someone you can speak openly and honestly to when times are tough.
Gotcha4Life funds sustainable educational workshops, training programs and products building this mental fitness in communities.
Click here to find out more about this fantastic organisation.
Better Off With You is a pilot initiative delivered by SANE Australia, and is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.
The Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac region is one of two communities chosen for the targeted pilot campaign. The other is the Northern Beaches in Sydney. The Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac campaign features three real stories told by local people with experience of suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Better Off With You aims to speak directly to people feeling suicidal, and seeks to challenge the perception that they are a burden on their family, friends and other people. The campaign will be promoted across social media, radio, print media, outdoor advertising and TV.
The campaign website betteroffwithyou.org.au houses the video stories, support information, a listing of national and local services and an online moderated forum where people can discuss the campaign and share their experiences. The pilot initiative was developed in consultation with local groups and those with lived experience, and includes a research component to ensure the campaign’s safety, measure impact and to inform future national suicide prevention activities.
