Latest news with #CanWeTalk
Herald Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- Herald Sun
New data shows why Australians struggle to ask R U OK?
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mental Health. Followed categories will be added to My News. A fear of offending by saying the wrong thing is holding many Australians back from checking in on those they are concerned about. A new survey by suicide prevention charity R U OK? has exposed the reasons why a third of us hesitate to reach out to those we suspect are struggling. Concerns about invading people's privacy, or not knowing how to help, were the other top factors. But overwhelmingly, the research found when people were asked how they were going, they felt 'grateful and supported'. Most Australians (three in four) also believed it was important to reach out. The findings have been released exclusively to News Corp Australia in the lead-up to R U OK? Day on September 11. The barriers to mental health conversations have been the focus of News Corp Australia's Can We Talk? campaign with Medibank, which this week is exploring relationships. The campaign is aimed at equipping Aussies with the skills needed to open up about the most important topic in our lives. Psychologist Annie Fardell Hartley said a simple conversation could make a big difference. 'These conversations matter and they're often more welcome than we think,' Ms Fardell Hartley, an R U OK? board member, said. 'People don't expect you to have all the answers or the perfect words. 'They value trust, genuine care, and someone who really listens.' Encouragingly, the charity said the research had revealed a third of Australians had been checking in with others more often over the past year. R U OK? ambassador Mahir Munot. Picture: Supplied For Mahir Munot, 19, a simple conversation at a critical point in his life proved 'life-changing'. Just days before his Year 12 exams, he found himself at his lowest ebb after bullying he had endured in the past resurfaced. 'I was in tears on the bus when a teacher sitting across from me asked, 'Are you OK?',' Mr Munot, who has since become a community ambassador for the charity, recalled. 'I was feeling completely shattered, and couldn't step forward and take any action. 'But that conversation on the bus was the reason I ended up opening up to my family and community that night.' Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, helping Australian families better tackle mental wellbeing. To follow the series and access all stories, tips and advice, visit our new Health section.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
How many close friends do you really need?
In 2025, many of us are living alone. Or we live with housemates, cotenants, flatmates – people who may share a fridge, a lease, even a dog, but not necessarily our inner world. While the population swells in our cities, and digital devices keep us constantly connected, many of us live in a kind of emotional isolation. We go to work, we cook our meals, we scroll our phones, we answer messages – and still feel deeply alone. For generations, it was a given that our romantic partner, our spouse, was also our closest confidante – the person we could cry in front of, confide in, lean on when the day had simply been too much. But for some, the presence of a partner only throws the lack of connection into sharper relief. Intimacy cannot be assumed. And for the growing number of people living solo, the question becomes starker: if not a partner, then who? The answer, it turns out, is friends. Not a friend. Friends – plural. Research from News Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank reveals that those with the best self-reported mental wellbeing are also those with the most people in their corner. On average, people with high wellbeing have five people they can rely on; those with poorer mental health report just over three. Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needs to have the most important conversation of their life. That gap might sound small, but in practice, it's enormous. It's the difference between feeling like there's always someone you can call, and running through a dwindling mental list of names when things start to unravel. The data is compelling. It confirms what many of us know instinctively, but sometimes forget to prioritise: that connection is not an optional extra — it is vital. Friendship is not decoration for a busy life. It is one of the structures that hold us upright. And yet, many Australians don't feel able to build or rely on that structure. The research also found that nearly half of us feel unprepared or unsure how to talk about mental health – even when someone turns to us for help. And when it comes to talking about our own struggles, we hold back out of fear: not fear of judgement, but fear of burdening others. We silence ourselves to protect the people we care about, not realising that this silence builds barriers where we need bridges. What emerges from this research is not just a picture of loneliness, but a profound uncertainty about how to connect in meaningful ways. Many of us are deeply social in practice – attending events, replying to group chats, showing up for work drinks – but feel emotionally cut off. We keep things light. We're funny, dependable, generous. But not vulnerable. Not fully ourselves. And in doing so, we miss out on the nourishment that true connection can bring. It's tempting to try to solve this with another app, a new social initiative, a government-funded campaign. And those all have their place. But there's something more elemental at stake here – something that doesn't require policy or innovation, but courage. We need to talk to our friends. Really talk. We need to be brave enough to say, 'I'm not okay.' Or even just, 'I'm struggling today.' We need to listen to each other without scrambling for solutions. To be present, even if we don't have the perfect words. Of course, that kind of honesty doesn't appear overnight. It takes time, and trust. But the alternative – isolation, both physical and emotional – carries its own costs. Mental ill-health is not just a personal issue. It's a public one. It affects families, workplaces, healthcare systems, communities. And it's growing. We cannot afford to pretend that mental wellbeing is something people can cultivate entirely alone. The most resilient among us still need others. That's why the link between support networks and mental health is so powerful. It gives us something tangible to work with. If we want to improve wellbeing, we can start by expanding our circles. That might mean reaching out to old friends and suggesting a catch-up that's more than just a walk-and-talk. It might mean gently probing when someone gives a breezy 'I'm fine' that doesn't ring true. It might mean noticing who is always the listener and never the speaker – and inviting them to take up space. These small actions don't always feel like mental health interventions, but they are. A text message that says 'thinking of you' might be the first step out of someone's emotional fog. A regular coffee catch-up might become someone's only appointment they truly look forward to. We don't need to be therapists to be impactful. We just need to be consistent, and willing to show up – even imperfectly. And we need to remind ourselves, too, that we are not burdens. If someone cares for us, they probably want to know how we really are. It is not weak to need others. It is human. In a culture that prizes independence and stoicism, this may feel radical. But if the research tells us anything, it's that no one thrives in isolation. We thrive in connection. We flourish in friendship. So maybe the real message from all this data isn't about mental health campaigns or social trends. Maybe it's simpler. Maybe it's this: pick up the phone. Send the message. Make the plan. Build the net before you fall. Because one day, you might need it. And so might someone else.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Heartbreaking moment radio host knew best mate ‘wasn't OK'
Will McMahon, one half of KIIS FM radio duo Will & Woody, has long been open about his mental health struggles. In 2019, the pair made global headlines with a video entitled 'Best mates sit down for a heart to heart about depression' that quickly went viral. In it, Will described to colleague and friend Woody Whitelaw what it was like inside his head during moments of depression, and the pair discussed the impact of his illness on their friendship and working relationship. The video, lauded for destigmatising conversations about mental health among men, became a launch pad for a suite of mental health initiatives spearheaded by the duo, including the release of an app that allows people share their moods with friends and family in a non-confronting way, aiming to spark conversations about mental wellbeing. But before that video was even conceived of, there was a moment between the two best mates that Woody says he'll never forget - the moment he first learnt what Will was going through. 'We were working in Perth, doing breakfast show hours,' he told Andrew Bucklow on today's episode of the From the Newsroom podcast. 'And I probably saw on him that maybe he was a bit off, or you know, was a bit quieter that day. He went straight home afterwards, and I can remember going over to his house, and he was trying to explain to me that he couldn't get off the bed. 'It was a pretty confronting interaction, you know,' he continued. 'I was seeing my mate with red eyes from crying, effectively saying that he physically was unable to get off the bed.' Woody says that, due to his lack of understanding of what depression really was at the time, his first instinct was to make a joke. 'My response to him was, 'mate, I get it. This one time before going to school, I had this massive pimple on my bum and I also couldn't get off the bed cause I was just feeling really bad about this pimple on my arse,' he said. 'Thankfully, Will laughed at my attempt to understand what he was going through, and when I look back on it, I think one of the key things that you can do for someone who is going through a depressive episode is just being there. 'You don't have to solve it for them,' Woody continued. 'You don't have to immediately rip them out of it. It's just like, I'm here, and you can stay depressed and you can stay sad, but I'm physically here with you. If you can also get a little giggle out of them, then I think you're doing a pretty good thing.' Understanding how to have conversations around mental health in the midst of a national crisis is central to Can We Talk? campaign. Research from News Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank found almost half of Australians acknowledge they lacked the necessary tools or knowledge to effectively engage in conversation when approached by someone to discuss their mental health. For Will, he credits that support network with saving his life. 'I've been fortunate,' he shares. 'I got lucky. I remember there was one night I was in living in Perth and I was driving to the beach with some very silly ideas in my head and a car full of booze. Luckily, a friend called me and she picked up on me that things weren't right, and I admitted to her what I was going to the beach to think about doing.' Will also acknowledges the difficulty in opening up. 'She read it on me that I wasn't OK, I didn't originally tell her that, I was trying to hide it,' he admits. 'I look back on that moment and think to myself, it's very easy for me to sit here and say to people, you know, talk about how you're feeling and talk about what's going on, when I know that it's the last thing you want to do.' News Corp and Medibank's research suggests that in terms of initiating the conversation themselves, not wanting to be a burden to others is by far the biggest barrier that holds Australians back from talking about mental wellbeing. Will understands all too well. 'It feels like a catch 22: the thing that you know is gonna get you out of (depression) is telling someone, sharing your load,' he said. 'But that is the hardest thing to do in the world because the way that depression works is that you feel like you are a burden. You feel like you are not worthy of people's love, so you don't want to tell them what is going on with you. 'As a result, you bury it deeper and it gets worse, and it gets worse and it gets worse. So it's this perfect, horrific cycle that self-perpetuates and is the reason that suicide is the number one killer of men under the age of 60.' The pair told Bucklow that since Will has opened up about his depression, their relationship has only become closer and more supportive. 'We went to the same school together and, you know, every single guy that's ever grown up as a teenager with someone else, you're guaranteed that (the relationship and communication) is grounded initially in some pretty stereotypical laziness,' explains Will. 'But we went there with each other, we were like, OK, this is our life and this is the only relationship that we're ever gonna have with each other. We can make this as good or as bad, or as beautiful, or as open or as simple as we like. And I think one of the benefits of me getting depression was that I had to open up completely to Woody, and vulnerability begets vulnerability. So then, naturally he opens up to me and then all of a sudden you're sharing this beautiful space and your friendship.' Will & Woody can be heard across The KIIS Network from 4-6pm weekdays and are launching their brand-new podcast We'll Get to That next week. Get it on the free iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.
News.com.au
28-06-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
‘We never spoke about it, ever': How rock bottom triggered Sydney man's life-changing conversation
James Wright always knew there was something a bit different about his dad. 'His energy would change from time to time,' recalls the 46-year-old Sydney man. 'Our Saturday morning bike rides would stop, and he'd withdraw socially, spending hours upon hours locked in his study.' Now, James recognises his father's episodes for what they were – major depressive episodes – but at the time, he was simply made aware that there were problems with his dad's health. 'When I was about 13, I remember being picked up early from school by mum, and she took my sister and I into the hospital, where Dad had been admitted to undergo electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT),' James said. 'I remember being warned by the doctors that Dad might not really be able to recognise us or say anything, as he'd only had the procedure the day before.' Growing up in the UK, James says despite his dad's severe struggles with mental health, conversations about it weren't commonplace. In fact, it wasn't until his twenties that James discovered his Nonna – his dad's mother – had also been admitted for ECT. Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needed to have the most important conversation of their life. 'She never spoke about it, ever,' he recalls. 'She lived up in the North of England in Hartlepool, and she must have been one of the first rounds of women to receive that therapy.' It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that James' own mental health began to decline in his mid-teens. According to studies, the heritability of major depressive disorder is between 30 and 50 per cent. Coupled with this, new research by News Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank found that 28 per cent of parents of 16- to 30-year-olds have never discussed their mental wellbeing with their children. In addition, half of all parents of 16-30 year olds (49 per cent) agree that 'I do/would find it hard to tell my children I'm having challenges or struggling with my mental wellbeing', with only 39 per cent disagreeing with this statement. For James, it meant that for a long time, he struggled alone. 'I was at an all-boy's Catholic school in North London, and I was just beginning to realise that I'm gay,' he said. There were a number of challenges in his life that combined to have a big impact on his mental health, but knowing what his dad had experienced, James didn't hesitate to seek help, first from the school, and then from a GP. 'Even though I didn't discuss it with mum and dad, I think my awareness of dad's condition meant that there wasn't any shame attached to seeking help – it was more just something I knew I needed to do,' he said. 'I knew there wouldn't have been any judgment from them if they had known.' James started taking medication, something he continued throughout his years at university. His mental health was what he describes as 'up and down' for much of his twenties, including a period of intense burnout that preceded a breakdown of sorts. 'I'm an ambitious person,' he said. 'I easily turn myself into a workaholic, particularly if I'm desperately passionate about what I'm doing, and I got myself into a real mess in my mid-twenties, and I think that's probably part of the reason I decided to move to Australia and give myself a fresh start.' Once settled in Sydney, James discovered a fulfilling new career in a workplace where he thrived, and felt his mental health stabilise for years. Then, in 2014, life threw James another curve ball. He contracted HIV. While early detection and antiviral treatment soon rendered the disease undetectable (and therefore non-transmissible) in James' body, the stress and shock of the experience sent him into a spiral of shame and self-destruction. 'I was too ashamed to tell my friends or family,' he recalls. 'I was drinking too much, stopped all forms of exercise and was hiding from the world.' This self-isolation – a tactic reminiscent of his father's – had become something of a hallmark of James' mental health struggles. 'That urge to withdraw socially has been a behaviour I'd been aware of repeating at several points during my life,' says James. 'And once you get better at recognising what's going on, you realise that pulling away is the last thing you should be doing to get better, but at the time, it feels like the only option.' Over the next few years, James' self-imposed exile from Sydney (he bought an ill-fated restaurant in the country in order to justify moving away) and determination to deal with his mental health forced him to face his demons head-on. Eventually, he realised that he needed to open up to his family – and his dad in particular – if he was to properly heal. 'It was in that one conversation – where I told him about my diagnosis and explained what I'd been going through – that we were able to be truly authentic with each other,' he says. That was about six years ago. Today, James describes his dad as his 'best friend'. 'We've had some incredible, raw, beautiful conversations about mental health, our emotions, about what it was like for him when I was growing up,' says James, who speaks about his father's struggles with pure empathy and understanding. 'I completely understand how hard it was for him, and why he needed to withdraw when he did. I feel like I'm able to have a lot of that relationship back now, as an adult, that I missed out on as a kid.' James, who now works as a positive psychology/strengths coach, says embracing authentic communication with his dad has been one of the biggest gifts of his adult life, and something he has adopted as a philosophy. 'Opening up to my family was the final piece of the puzzle,' he says. 'It means I can show up completely authentically, which in turn helps my clients be vulnerable and authentic in return.'
Daily Telegraph
25-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Telegraph
Why Gen Z kids and their parents don't talk
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mental Health. Followed categories will be added to My News. Pride, trust issues and a fear of judgment are preventing Australian families from talking more about mental health, new research has found. Half of parents of 16 to 30-year-olds are uncomfortable talking to their children about their wellbeing, although a third want to. Worryingly, younger people found it even harder to communicate, with 62 per cent of respondents unable to confide in older family members. The next phase of News Corp Australia's Can We Talk? campaign launching today, in partnership with Medibank, will focus on how families can support each other with mental health challenges. The new research, by New Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank, has exposed the intergenerational barriers holding families back from supporting each other. It found families often lacked the tools, language and 'mental health literacy' to communicate. Young people were most concerned about negative responses. It calls on parents to take the lead and spark conversations around mental health in a casual, empathetic way. Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson said asking for 'consent' before raising a tough topic or sharing advice could be a 'gamechanger'. 'Asking for consent seems like a small thing, but can change a conversation drastically,' he said. 'What I find helpful with my daughter is to say, 'I've noticed this happening with you', and then, 'I have some ideas that could help if you're interested. If you're not, that's totally fine'. Justin Couslon has given useful tips that he says can be a 'gamechanger'. Picture Lachie Millard 'Or if you are the one opening up, start by asking if someone can just listen.' The father-of-six, and R U OK? ambassador, said there were many reasons why people felt reluctant to share issues with family members. Younger people often worried that a parent would interfere, judge them or deliver a lecture. On the flip side, parents may fear being seen as a 'failure', or want to avoid using their children as 'therapists'. But he said positive communication across generations in families helped build connection. 'We need to equip families to talk about these topics because many struggle,' he said. 'The more we communicate with each other, the more we can develop trust, be vulnerable and sense when someone's okay or not. It's important to be intentional about these conversations because if you are staring at a screen and not each other, it's hard to pick up when someone needs help.' Half of parents of Gen Zs and Millenials are uncomfortable talking about their wellbeing. The Growth Distillery research found all topics were harder to talk about with someone in a different generation. But relationship issues topped the list, with more than half reluctant to share across age groups, followed by social pressures (52 per cent) and stress (49 per cent). Relationships Australia CEO Elisabeth Shaw said research showed 18 to 25-year-olds were one of the loneliest groups, and it was important they had someone 'safe' to talk to, whether it was a family member or not. 'Knowing that in their darkest times, young people have someone to talk to, is a huge protective factor for mental health and suicide,' she said. 'But if they feel shut down, dismissed or ridiculed by family, or if there's disinterest, then that hurts more than if it were a casual acquaintance. 'What's important is to talk to somebody who is trustworthy and open to your experience.' She said in many ways, today's young people had more in common with their parents than ever before, such as social media use, online dating and multiple romantic relationships. 'The clash happens when the younger generation feels shut down and misunderstood. A way to take that into account is to enter their world, rather than taking the approach of: 'Do it my way and follow my recommendations'.' Originally published as Three reasons parents and their millenial or Gen Z kids don't talk
