On this R U OK? Day, the Morrison Government is encouraging Australians to reach out to the people about whom we care and ask – are you really OK? An important conversation about mental health could change a life.
R U OK? Day has been an annual event since 2009, but this year it is more important than ever before.
The unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic are having very significant impacts on the mental health of so many Victorians.
Whether it’s children isolated from school and friends, small business owners forced to shut up shop for months on end or women suffering family violence exacerbated by lockdowns and financial pressures, there are many people in our community who are not OK.
It’s estimated there are thousands of Victorians trapped interstate who have been refused a permit to cross the border and return home. I say to the Premier, these people are really not OK and need to come home. These restrictions are cruel and callous and are causing real mental health damage.
The Morrison Government is proud to support R U OK? Day and has committed $2.1 million to the work of R U OK? between April 2017 and 30 June 2022.
Mental health and suicide prevention are a national priority. Our Government has invested a record $2.3 billion in the 2021–22 Budget for the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. A record $6.5 billion will be spent in mental health and suicide prevention services and supports in 2021–22, an investment which has doubled since 2012–13.
More information and resources to help support the conversation around mental health are available at www.ruok.org.au
Ends
9 September 2021