Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/111460
currentaffair mentally as well. So, 'Are you okay?' is an important question to ask," she says in a video made for R U OK?Day. "It's not something you ask once or even twice. You should constantly show someone you care for them, because they might not be okay." Perhaps the greatest challenge is giving people in trouble the confidence to admit they need help, which means removing the stigma of mental illness. As Humphries says, "I encourage people to connect with someone and not let fear or prejudice prevent them from talking openly and honestly. "As the first Minister for Mental Health in a NSW government, I believe one of the most important challenges that we, as a community, face is to lift the cloud of stigma that prevents people from seeking help. By doing this we will continue to build resilience, support one another and strengthen our communities." R U OK?Day continues to be a vital force in suicide prevention in Australia and its website is a hub of resources for people who are not okay and people who know someone who may need help. Any day of the year can be the day to start a conversation and change someone's life. The next R U OK?Day will be held nationally on September 12, 2013. For more information visit www.ruokday.com. Above: R U OK?Day supporters mobilise on the beach to promote the importance of opening the lines of communication. What you can help to change • On average, more than 2,300 Australians suicide each year (ABS 2012). • Another 65,000 Australians attempt suicide each year (Lifeline). • Suicide is the biggest killer of Australians aged 15 to 34 years (ABS 2012). • Men account for 75 per cent of all suicide deaths (ABS 2012). • The suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is almost three times that of non-Indigenous Australians (ABS 2012). 74