From asking “Are you OK?” to finding support

From asking “Are you OK?” to finding support

What awareness campaigns can teach us about perinatal mental health

A new Australian study highlights an important lesson for mental health promotion: conversations matter, but people also need clear pathways to support.

For many people experiencing mental health challenges, the first step is recognising that something is not quite right and feeling able to talk about it. A simple question from a partner, family member, friend or colleague can create an important moment of connection:

“Are you OK?”

New Australian research examining the impact of R U OK? Day provides valuable insight into the role that community conversations can play in supporting mental wellbeing. The study, published in the Journal of Marketing, examined nine years of Australian data to understand whether a large-scale peer-support campaign influenced mental health outcomes. The researchers found that increased exposure to R U OK? Day was associated with an improvement in self-reported mental wellbeing, with particularly strong effects among men aged 25–49.

However, the research also highlighted an important challenge. While the campaign improved wellbeing, the researchers did not find evidence of a short-term increase in mental healthcare utilisation. This highlights an important distinction:

Creating awareness is not the same as creating access.

Awareness is the beginning, not the destination

Awareness campaigns play an important role in changing conversations, reducing stigma and helping people feel less alone. But for someone experiencing anxiety, depression or emotional distress during pregnancy or early parenthood, awareness often leads to further questions:

  • What am I experiencing?
  • Is this normal?
  • Where can I find reliable information?
  • What support is available?
  • What should I do next?

These questions are particularly important during the perinatal period, when parents may experience significant physical, emotional and social changes. Many parents who are struggling do not necessarily need a crisis response. They may first need reassurance, information, practical strategies and a safe way to explore what they are experiencing.

Turning conversations into action

The R U OK? campaign is built around encouraging people to ask, listen, encourage action and continue checking in. The same principle applies to perinatal mental health. A conversation with a new parent might begin with:

“How are you really going?”

But a meaningful response also requires knowing where to go next. Support needs to be accessible, understandable and available at the point where someone first recognises they may need help.

This may include:

  • trusted information that helps parents understand their experiences;
  • practical strategies they can use themselves;
  • evidence-based programs that are easy to access;
  • pathways to professional care when additional support is needed.

The importance of early support

Not every parent experiencing emotional difficulties during pregnancy or early parenthood will immediately seek formal mental health treatment. Some may be unsure whether their experience is serious enough. Others may feel overwhelmed by the process of finding support, or may not know what options exist. This is why accessible early support is so important. Services that sit between general awareness and clinical care can provide parents with an opportunity to take the next step in a way that suits their circumstances.

At PIRI, our focus is on making evidence-based support more accessible for parents and families. Programs such as MumSpace, MumMoodBooster, Mum2BMoodBooster, DadSpace and DadBooster provide practical resources and support options for parents who may be experiencing challenges during pregnancy and early parenthood.

These programs do not replace professional care when it is needed. Rather, they help ensure parents have somewhere to turn when they first recognise they may need support.

Building the bridge between awareness and support

The lesson from national awareness campaigns is not that one conversation solves everything. Rather, conversations create opportunities. A question can open the door. A supportive response can help someone take the next step. Accessible services and resources help ensure people do not have to navigate that next step alone. For perinatal mental health, this means continuing to build a community where talking about wellbeing is normal, support is easy to find, and parents feel confident reaching out early.

Because sometimes the most important question is not only:

“Are you OK?”

It is also:

“What support would help you from here?”

 

Further reading

This article was informed by recent research examining the impact of a national peer-support mental health campaign in Australia.

Black, N., Deer, L., Johnston, D. W., & Kunz, J. S. (2026). Are You OK? Effects of a National Peer-Support Campaign on Mental Health. Journal of Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429261467752

September 7, 2026September 7, 2026