Keeping the Conversation Going Beyond Mental Health Month

By Hellen Kibowen, Stakeholder Engagement & Project Manager

October gave us a reason to talk about mental health. We shared resources, attended events and reminded each other that it is okay not to be okay. 

As we reflect on Mental Health Month, perhaps the most important question is not only what we did during October, but what we carry forward. 

This year’s Mental Health Month theme, Together We Thrive, focused on the importance of connection, belonging and community for our mental health and wellbeing. New research released during October showed just how important that message is. 

Beyond Blue’s 2026 Australia’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Check found that 41% of people in Australia sought support for their mental health in the past year, up from 37% in 2022. There were also encouraging signs that people were reaching out earlier, with fewer people delaying or going without support. 

At the same time, Mental Health Australia’s research revealed what it described as a growing “connection gap”. Almost two-thirds of Australians (64%) believed we were becoming more disconnected from each other, while only 21% said they felt very connected to their friends, family, neighbours or community. 

These findings remind us that seeking support and feeling connected are both important to our mental health and wellbeing. And, often, connection begins with a conversation. 

What does connection look like? 

This question was also present in many of the conversations at the FECCA 2026 National conference, held in Canberra during Mental Health Month. 

Across a number of conference sessions, speakers explored what mental health and wellbeing look like when culture, community, belonging and lived experience are placed at the centre. Sessions explored strengthening mental health and suicide prevention through community engagement and the importance of communities being actively involved in identifying their needs and shaping solutions. 

One memorable conference abstract, Dumplings Against Depression and the serious business of sharing a meal, explored the power of sharing a meal and creating space for trusted conversations. It was a simple but powerful idea: trusted conversations do not always begin in a clinical setting. Sometimes they begin around a table, within families and in community spaces where people feel safe and connected. 

Across the different sessions, a recurring message was that culturally responsive mental health support requires more than translating information. Trust, belonging, lived experience, community relationships and culturally safe and responsive services all matter. 

These conversations built on reflections shared earlier this year by my colleagues on what multicultural communities can teach us about mental health and the importance of community-led approaches. 

This is particularly important because, while there are encouraging signs that Australians are seeking mental health support earlier, we know that this experience is not shared equally. 

The State of Multicultural Mental Health in Australia report found that overseas-born Australians experiencing anxiety or mood disorders are more likely than Australian-born people to wait more than a decade before receiving mental health support. Reported barriers include language, mental health literacy, stigma, difficulty navigating the mental health system and limited access to culturally safe and responsive services. 

It is okay not to be okay. But people also need to feel safe to say they are not okay, know where to get help, and be able to access care and support that makes sense to them. 

This is why everyday connection matters. It does not always require a program, campaign or formal intervention. Sometimes it starts with noticing that someone has gone quiet. Making a phone call. Sharing a meal. Asking someone how they are going and making the time to genuinely hear their answer. 

R U OK? reminds us to Ask R U OK? Any Day. Their research found that nine in ten Australians who had been genuinely asked if they were OK reported feeling grateful, supported and cared for. 

What will you carry forward? 

Start a conversation: Is there someone who has been on your mind? Ask how they are going, listen without judgement and remember to check in again. 

Build a connection: Connection can be as simple as sharing a meal, making the phone call, inviting someone along or creating a space where another person feels welcome. 

For our multicultural communities, our families, cultural and faith networks, community organisations and everyday gathering places can be powerful spaces for connection and belonging. 

Know where to get help: If someone told you today that they were struggling, would you know where they could get support? 

The Embrace Multicultural Mental Health resources provide culturally relevant information about mental health and wellbeing, including multilingual resources and information about where to get help. 

Mental Health Month may be over, but the conversations we started do not have to end with October. We can carry the spirit of Together We Thrive forward in a simple way.

Keep the conversation going.