Mental Health Month 2024

Scouts Australia is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all members. By embracing this year’s theme, “Let’s Talk About It,” Scouts Australia continues to foster a culture of openness, support, and understanding, encouraging everyone to engage in conversations about mental health and well-being. We aim to create a space where everyone feels safe, heard, and valued by promoting understanding, challenging stigma, and advocating kindness.

There are many myths, misunderstandings, and assumptions surrounding mental health, often leading to stigma—the harmful belief that mental ill-health is something to be ashamed of or hidden. This stigma can prevent people from seeking the help and support they need.

The best way to challenge these misconceptions is by learning directly from those with lived experiences. Listening with an open mind and responding with compassion helps create a supportive environment free from judgment or assumptions.

Key Tips to Demonstrate Your Support:

• Practice Active Listening: Be fully present and attentive to both verbal and non-verbal communication. Listen to understand, not to react, and ask clarifying questions if needed. Repeating back what someone has shared ensures you understand their message, especially if communication is difficult.
• Validate Concerns and Respect Boundaries: Take time to acknowledge someone’s feelings and respect their boundaries, including non-verbal cues. Show empathy, patience, and compassion—small acts that can make a big difference in helping someone feel heard and supported.
• Ask to Show Care: Check in with people about their boundaries and ask if they’re feeling triggered, activated, or dissociated. Though it may feel awkward, these questions show you care and support someone experiencing mental distress.
• Create Comfort and Accessibility: Ask if there’s anything you can do to make the situation or conversation more accessible or comfortable for them. Educate yourself about mental health conditions and use correct, respectful language when discussing these topics.
• Be aware of the language you use: when discussing mental health. Challenge yourself to avoid stigmatizing terms, and gently encourage others to do the same if you hear them. Separating behaviours from diagnoses is essential to challenging mental health stigma. Stay conscious of words rooted in a diagnosis or symptom, and choose language that describes behaviours without reducing someone to a label. By carefully choosing our words, we can help create a more respectful and understanding environment for everyone.

At Scouts Australia, we believe in the importance of making our spaces safe and welcoming for everyone, especially those with lived experiences of mental ill-health. Simple actions by members and groups, such as considering room layout, temperature, lighting, background noise, and allowing for longer pauses in conversation, can make a big difference in helping everyone feel comfortable and included.