Sharon has 21+ years of experience as a qualified Emergency Care Nurse registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) and 12+ years as a First Aid Trainer.
She takes pride in FirstAidPro making first aid training available, comprehensive and affordable to everybody.
R U OK? Day 2026 falls on Thursday, 10 September, the same date as World Suicide Prevention Day, putting an important focus on conversations, connection and the practical skills needed to support someone who may be struggling. Asking “Are you OK?” can open the door. Knowing how to listen, recognise warning signs and respond when the answer is “No” can help you take the conversation further.
This year’s R U OK? message, Ask R U OK? Any Day, is also an important reminder that mental health support cannot be confined to one date on the calendar. R U OK? reports that nine in ten Australians who have been asked if they are OK say the experience made them feel grateful, cared about and supported. (RU OK?)
At First Aid Pro, that message sits naturally alongside our partnership with LIVIN, the Australian mental health organisation behind the message “It Ain’t Weak to Speak”. Both organisations recognise the importance of breaking down the barriers that stop people talking about mental health. But there is another part of the equation too: once somebody begins talking, we need people who are prepared to listen and know what to do next.
That is where a First Aid for Mental Health course can add something valuable to the conversation.
Key Takeaways
- R U OK? Day 2026 is Thursday, 10 September, the same date as World Suicide Prevention Day.
- Asking “Are you OK?” can be an important starting point, but listening to the answer and following up matter too.
- Lifeline reports that an average of nine Australians die by suicide each day. (Lifeline)
- Mental Health First Aid training develops practical skills for recognising mental health problems, starting conversations and responding to crisis situations.
- First Aid Pro’s partnership with LIVIN reinforces a shared message: talking about mental health matters, and learning how to support those conversations matters too.
Why RU OK Day 10 September 2026 Matters
R U OK? Day is held on the second Thursday of September each year. In 2026, that places it on Thursday, 10 September. (RU OK?)
The date also coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day, observed internationally every year on 10 September. That overlap gives Australians a particularly strong reason to think about what suicide prevention and everyday mental health support can look like in our families, workplaces and communities.
It is tempting to think about suicide prevention entirely in terms of professionals and crisis services. Those services are essential. But the people who first notice that something has changed are often not psychologists, doctors or counsellors.
- They are friends.
- They are partners, parents and siblings.
- They are colleagues who notice somebody has stopped joining everyone for lunch
- a supervisor who sees a normally reliable worker becoming unusually withdrawn
- or a mate who realises that the jokes and messages have suddenly stopped.
You do not need to diagnose somebody to notice that they do not seem like themselves. Sometimes the most useful first step is simply caring enough to ask.
The Power of Asking “Are You OK?”
The strength of the R U OK? message is partly its simplicity.
You do not need an elaborate speech. You do not need to have all the answers. And you certainly do not need to wait until you are certain somebody has a mental health problem before checking in.
R U OK? encourages Australians to use four conversation steps: Ask R U OK?, Listen, Encourage Action and Check In. Its workplace guidance also emphasises regular, meaningful conversations that build trust and help normalise talking about what is really happening in people’s lives. (RU OK?)
That last point deserves attention.
Imagine asking a colleague how they are doing and hearing the familiar response:
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Perhaps they are. But perhaps their expression, behaviour or tone tells you otherwise.
A genuine follow-up such as “You don’t seem quite yourself lately — do you want to talk about it?” may give that person permission to say what is actually happening.
The conversation does not have to be perfect. What matters is that the concern is genuine.
But What Happens When Someone Says,
“No, I’m Not OK”?
Starting a conversation is one thing. Knowing what to do with the answer can be another.
“I’m barely sleeping”
A colleague tells you they have barely slept for weeks and are finding it increasingly difficult to function.
“My anxiety is overwhelming”
A friend opens up and tells you their anxiety has become difficult to manage.
“I’ve been thinking about suicide”
Someone discloses that they have been experiencing thoughts of suicide.
Suddenly, a casual check-in has become a serious conversation.
This is often the point where confidence drops — and where practical mental health first aid skills can make a real difference.
It is understandable to feel uncertain. People can become worried about saying the wrong thing, making matters worse, invading somebody’s privacy or taking on a problem they are not qualified to solve.
A First Aid For Mental Health course is an accredited certification, but it is not designed to turn people into therapists. In much the same way that physical first aid does not turn somebody into a paramedic, its purpose is to develop the skills to provide initial support until appropriate professional assistance can be accessed or the situation resolves.
That distinction matters.
Your job is not to diagnose somebody. It is not to become their counsellor.
It is to recognise that something may be wrong, respond appropriately and help connect the person with further support where needed.
The Australian Suicide Statistics Are Difficult to Ignore
Any discussion of R U OK?Day should be careful not to imply that every difficult period or mental health problem leads to suicide. It does not.
At the same time, suicide remains a major public health issue in Australia.
AIHW reports preliminary ABS data showing 3,307 deaths by suicide were registered in Australia in 2024, including 2,529 males and 778 females. (AIHW)
Lifeline expresses the scale another way: an average of nine Australians die by suicide each day, and around three-quarters of suicide deaths are among males. Lifeline also reports that more than one million Australians reach out to the organisation for support each year.
Behind every one of those figures is a person.
There are also families, friends, colleagues and communities affected by the loss.
Statistics cannot tell us exactly what might have changed an individual outcome. Suicide is complex and rarely has one simple cause. But the figures make one point very clear: conversations about mental health and suicide prevention deserve to be taken seriously.
FAP × LIVIN: Making It Easier to Speak
This is also where the partnership between First Aid Pro and LIVIN becomes particularly relevant.
LIVIN was founded in 2013 following the death of Dwayne Lally, whose experience inspired a movement centred on reducing stigma and encouraging people to speak openly about mental health.
Its message is deliberately uncomplicated:
It Ain’t Weak to Speak.
First Aid Pro’s partnership with LIVIN brings together two related ideas: people should feel able to talk about mental health, and communities benefit when people have the skills and confidence to respond when somebody needs help.
First Aid Pro supports LIVIN through initiatives including charity CPR and first aid courses, where donations from participants support LIVIN’s mental health programs.
There is an obvious connection between this work and R U OK?Day.
- We want people to speak.
- We also need people prepared to hear what they say.
What Mental Health First Aid Adds to the Conversation
Good intentions matter, but training gives those intentions structure.
The Standard Mental Health First Aid course available through First Aid Pro was developed by Mental Health First Aid Australia and is designed to teach adults how to provide initial support to another adult who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis.
Participants learn about mental health problems including depression, anxiety, psychosis and substance use problems, as well as crisis situations including suicidal thoughts and behaviours, panic attacks, non-suicidal self-injury and traumatic events.
Mental Health First Aid Australia describes its courses as evidence-based and skills-focused. Evaluations have found that training improves participants’ knowledge of mental health problems and their treatments, along with confidence in providing mental health first aid. (Mental Health First Aid)
That confidence can be particularly valuable when a conversation takes an unexpected turn. FirstAidPro also offers the nationally accredited: 11379NAT Course in Initial Response to a Mental Health Crisis course.
Rather than wondering, What on earth do I say now?, a trained person has a framework for responding.
Listening Without Trying to Fix Everything
When someone tells us they are struggling, our natural instinct is often to start producing solutions. But sometimes the most helpful thing we can do first is simply listen.
The urge to immediately solve the problem can sound like:
Listen First
Jumping immediately into problem-solving can mean we stop listening. Give the person time and space to explain what is happening.
Avoid Judgement
Listen attentively and take what the person says seriously. A calm, non-judgemental response can help the conversation feel safer.
Encourage Support
From there, it may be appropriate to encourage professional help, social support or another suitable form of assistance.
You don't always need to fix the problem. Sometimes you need to hear the person.
Listen first, respond without judgement and help them find appropriate support. If the situation becomes urgent, a more immediate response may be needed.
When the Conversation Becomes a Crisis
Mental health conversations do not always remain general. Someone might disclose thoughts of suicide or indicate that they may be at immediate risk of harm. This is exactly the kind of situation where people can freeze because they are frightened of doing the wrong thing.
Accredited Mental Health First Aid training addresses crisis situations and teaches participants how to provide initial support and encourage appropriate professional help. The Standard Mental Health First Aid course is also recognised by Suicide Prevention Australia as a safe, high-quality and effective suicide prevention program.
There is an important boundary here.
Mental Health First Aid is first aid.
A Mental Health First Aider does not replace a psychologist, psychiatrist, GP, crisis worker or emergency service. Nor should one person take sole responsibility for another person’s ongoing mental health.
Where there is an immediate danger to life, emergency assistance should be sought.
Knowing your limits is part of helping safely.
Why These Skills Matter in Australian Workplaces
R U OK?Day can start valuable conversations at work. The bigger question is whether those conversations continue after the posters, morning teas and events are over.
The most useful question for an organisation may be:
What happens on 11 September?
Will people still check in?
Do workers still feel comfortable checking on a colleague when there is no campaign day prompting them?
Will someone notice changes?
Would a supervisor recognise that a sudden change in behaviour might justify a private conversation?
Will they know how to respond?
Does somebody know what to do if an employee becomes distressed or discloses that they are struggling?
Will managers know where to refer?
Are managers aware of appropriate professional and organisational support pathways?
From an annual event to an everyday culture
R U OK? encourages workplaces to make meaningful conversations part of everyday working life rather than something reserved for one day each year. Mental Health First Aid training can support that goal by giving people practical skills they can use throughout the year.
Training is one part of a broader workplace approach
Mental Health First Aid training does not replace:
The goal is not to turn colleagues into counsellors.
It is to help more people feel confident recognising when someone may need support, starting an appropriate conversation and knowing when to encourage further help.
Ask R U OK? Any Day
One of the strongest messages of R U OK?Day 2026 is contained in four simple words.
Ask R U OK? Any Day.
Mental health does not follow a promotional calendar.
Things Can Change
A colleague may be doing well on 10 September and struggling badly six weeks later.
They May Not Be Ready Today
A friend who brushes off your concern today may decide they are ready to talk next Tuesday.
Follow-Up Matters
Someone going through a difficult time may particularly appreciate you remembering to check in again several days later.
R U OK?Day gives Australians a reason to start thinking about these conversations. But meaningful support should not disappear when the date passes.
The bigger goal is to make checking in normal.
Not just on R U OK?Day. Not just when someone looks obviously distressed. But whenever genuine concern tells you it may be worth asking.
Turn Awareness Into Practical Skills
There is something powerful about one person noticing another person and genuinely asking how they are going.
But imagine adding another layer to that willingness to care.
Imagine knowing how to recognise common signs of mental health problems, how to listen without judgement, how to approach someone appropriately, how to encourage professional support and how to respond when the conversation reveals a potential crisis.
That is the difference training can make.
Through its partnership with LIVIN, First Aid Pro is proud to support the message that It Ain’t Weak to Speak. Through Mental Health First Aid training, we can also help more Australians develop the skills to listen and respond when somebody does speak.
This R U OK? Day, ask the question.
- Listen to the answer.
- And consider whether you are ready for what might come next –
Explore Mental Health First Aid training with First Aid Pro and build practical skills for supporting the people around you.
Related Reading
- Lifeline – Out of the Shadows
RU OK? Ask RU OK? Any Day
First Aid Pro X Livin – Two Forces Unite For Lasting Change
Training.gov.au – 11379NAT Course In Initial Response to a Mental Health Crisis
FAQs
When is R U OK? Day 2026?
R U OK? Day 2026 is Thursday, 10 September. R U OK? Day is held on the second Thursday of September each year. In 2026, it falls on the same date as World Suicide Prevention Day. (RU OK?)
What should I do if someone says they are not OK?
Give the person time to talk and listen without judgement. Take what they tell you seriously rather than immediately trying to solve the problem. Depending on what they disclose, you may encourage them to speak with a GP, mental health professional, crisis service or another trusted support person. If there is an immediate danger to life, seek emergency assistance.
Can asking someone about suicide put the idea into their head?
Mental Health First Aid guidance teaches people how to respond when they are concerned about suicidal thoughts or behaviours, including how to approach the situation directly and safely. Avoiding the subject because it feels uncomfortable can prevent an important conversation from taking place. Appropriate training can make people more confident about handling these conversations.
What does a Mental Health First Aid course teach?
Both the Standard Mental Health First Aid course and the accredited 11379NAT Course In Initial Response to a Mental Health Crisis, teach participants how to recognise signs and symptoms of common mental health problems, use an evidence-based action plan to start a mental health first aid conversation, understand barriers to seeking help and provide initial support across a range of crisis situations.
Is a Mental Health First Aider a counsellor?
No. Mental Health First Aid does not qualify somebody to diagnose or treat a mental health condition or provide professional counselling. The role is comparable in principle to physical first aid: provide appropriate initial support and help the person access professional assistance when required.
