Men in regional and remote Australia remain significantly over-represented in suicide statistics, yet engagement with generic awareness campaigns remains low. In the Wheatbelt, men have consistently reported that state or national campaigns feel metrocentric and disconnected from regional realities. In response, Holyoake initiated two mutually reinforcing initiatives: 4ME & MEN EVERYWHERE and Mates Coasters. Both were co-designed through authentic, community-driven strategies, empowering men to engage with help-seeking behaviours while emphasising the importance of checking in on their mates.

Focus groups with men aged 21–75 years—including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, those with lived experience, and sector professionals—highlighted consistent themes: low rates of self-monitoring, ingrained stigma, and difficulty connecting distress with help-seeking. This revealed a significant gap in the behaviour-change continuum for regional men. The strategy therefore focused on shifting narratives—enabling men to move naturally from self-awareness to help-seeking, rather than relying on traditional “forced” approaches.

The Mates Coasters initiative built on this platform, providing simple drink coasters with dual evidence-based messaging: a visible call to action on the front and crisis support prompts on the back. Placed where men naturally gather—sporting clubs, pubs, cafés, roadhouses—the coasters prompt reflection, conversations, and help-seeking in everyday contexts.

Rather than investing in costly mass advertising, co-designed assets became the hook. Men themselves drove promotion and dissemination, supported by Holyoake’s established regional networks. This low-cost, high-impact approach has delivered significant outcomes, maximising return on investment while strengthening community ownership.

This presentation will outline the co-design methodology, behavioural framework, and quantitative and qualitative findings. Results demonstrate measurable improvements in self-awareness, help-seeking, and men’s confidence to support others. Together, these initiatives provide a replicable model for policymakers and practitioners aiming to reach priority male populations in regional and remote settings.

Context and Aim
The early postnatal period presents substantial emotional, physical, and social challenges for birthing parents. Promoting mental wellbeing (MWB) during this time can protect against distress, reduce the risk of mental health conditions, and build parenting confidence. Despite available healthcare, support remains fragmented, especially in regional and rural communities, and preventive strategies to promote MWB are underutilised in routine postnatal care.

Methods and Analysis
This work is embedded within Healthy Beginnings for HNEKids, an innovative digital universal model of care delivered via text messages. Guided by behavioural science frameworks (Behaviour Change Wheel, Theoretical Domains Framework), we co-designed a MWB support component with 38 rural parents, 11 people with lived experience of perinatal mental health conditions, and 6 health professionals working with birthing parents. Barriers (exhaustion, guilt, conflicting advice) and enablers (validation, realistic expectations, peer-informed support) informed the development of 30 brief, strengths-based text messages promoting MWB. Messages focused on emotional coping, normalising help-seeking, strengthening social and support networks, creating space for guilt-free self-care, and fostering self-kindness through noticing small daily wins.

Outcomes
To refine the messages, online surveys were completed by 23 parents (some with lived experience) and 26 health professionals. Feedback guided tone, relevance, and clinical alignment. A final set of 20 messages was pilot tested in a 10-day trial with 14 parents and 13 health professionals, each reviewing 10 messages. Messages were well received, highlighting their accessibility, acceptability, and potential to address current support gaps. Their effectiveness will be evaluated in a randomised controlled trial using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, embedded within the usual-care text message program.

Future Actions
Co-designed, scalable, evidence-informed mHealth interventions targeting MWB should be prioritised in routine postnatal care. Such interventions must centre lived experience and emphasise preventive, strengths-based approaches, particularly in communities with limited access to mental health services.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians continue to experience disproportionately high rates of mental illness and suicide, despite strong cultural resilience. Formative research in a Western Australian community revealed deep trauma, poor mental health, and limited access to services. Existing tools for assessing mental health and wellbeing often lack cultural relevance. Storytelling and art have emerged as effective methods to engage communities, raise mental health literacy, and promote self-care. This project explores culturally congruent elements of existing tools and co-designs a new instrument with the adult Aboriginal community in Mullewa, WA.

This project follows an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research framework, prioritising co-design and collaboration with the Mullewa community, guided by the Elders Governance Group. Aboriginal research team members from Mullewa advise on each step, ensuring cultural relevance and community ownership. The project’s core aim is to co-design a mental health tool that is meaningful and useful to the Mullewa Aboriginal community. Community members, including research assistants as co-researchers, have contributed to all aspects of the project. Information sessions are held to explain the project, invite input, and incorporate local expertise. Data is collected voluntarily through prior written informed consent and treated confidentially.
Findings and outputs, including the completed tool with psychoeducation and self-care strategies, will be returned to the community in accessible formats. Data sharing and dissemination will be transparently negotiated with the community, both verbally and through participant information forms.

By applying Data Sovereignty principles throughout the study’s conception, design, analysis, and dissemination, we ensure Aboriginal participants retain the right to regulate the collection and use of data concerning their people, communities, and lands. The Mullewa Aboriginal community also maintains the right to determine which data sets require active governance and to opt out of processes that do not align with these principles. This approach is not only an ethical and legal obligation but also a vital expression of respect for Aboriginal peoples’ right to self-determination.

The Tharlbarra Maga project began in November 2024. It involves Elders, community members, service providers, researchers, and experts in co-designing a strengths-based mental health tool. Workshops and interviews were held with service providers and partners and information sharing sessions with the community. Based on these processes, the draft tool was co-designed using a river analogy to introduce mental health concepts. Following a yarn, it presents seven vignettes drawn from common community experiences, addressing themes such as anxiety, grief, substance use, depression, gambling, family violence, and intergenerational trauma.

Yarning circles, co-facilitated by an Aboriginal research assistant, were used to evaluate the tool’s clarity and cultural relevance. With informed consent, photographs were taken. Recordings were transcribed and thematically analysed.

Initial findings from a women's yarning circle showed that while the river metaphor resonated as a symbol of strength and connection to Country, its use to represent mental health states was not easily understood. Participants found the vignettes on grief, trauma, and family violence relatable and clearly presented. However, the open-ended nature of the stories was perceived as lacking hope. Revisions will be made in consultation with the Elders Governance Group and service providers, with further yarning circles planned. Indigenous artists will contribute illustrations, and ongoing community engagement will build trust and strengthen mental health awareness.

Ongoing co-design is vital. Future actions include continued co-design, improving storytelling, art, and culturally grounded education culminating in pilot studies to enhance mental health awareness, support early intervention, and foster community-led responses.

Context and Aim: The ongoing cost-of-living crisis has intensified the bidirectional relationship between financial hardship and poor mental health, where each exacerbates the other. Beyond Blue and Financial Counselling Australia have formed a strategic partnership to address this complex public health issue, strengthening cross sectoral capacity, building new knowledge and codesigning much needed tools and resources for those struggling.

Methods and Analysis: Our mixed-methods research confirmed the bidirectional nature of money and mental health challenges, and highlighted that social connection is protective, while isolation increases vulnerability to financial and mental health challenges. Life transitions and unexpected events, compounded by stigma, often inhibit help-seeking.
Beyond Blue’s recent population health survey revealed that financial stress is the leading cause of psychological distress, affecting 46% of people in Australia. Those facing multiple stressors reported significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, with nearly half unable to access professional support due to cost. As a result, our financial and mental health support services require collaboration, unique new approaches and resources to support their customers.

Outcomes: The partnership has led to the co-design of products and processes that address both financial and mental health challenges. These resources, targeting both individuals and organisations, have gained widespread popularity, demonstrating the effectiveness of cross-sector collaboration in reducing stigma and improving access to earlier support.

Future Actions: To address the intertwined nature of money and mental health, future efforts must prioritize systemic, multi-level strategies involving sectors beyond health. Strengthening partnerships, enhancing codesign, and leveraging complementary strengths over competition will be key to developing sustainable solutions to complex public health issues.

Co-designing a Bangla Mental Health Sign Language Bank for Deaf Communities
Background: Globally, Deaf communities face significant barriers in accessing mental health resources due to social exclusion and systemic marginalization. In Bangladesh, these challenges are further exacerbated by a historical neglect of Deaf mental health, reflected in the absence of relevant research. Recent studies also highlight a critical gap in the literature, noting limited research on Bangladeshi sign language and a general lack of comprehensive datasets on Bangladeshi sign vocabulary. This study aimed to explore the mental health understanding and struggles of the Deaf community in Bangladesh, with the goal of co-developing culturally and linguistically appropriate digital mental health tools in collaboration with Deaf individuals, sign language interpreters, and mental health professionals.
Methods: Two exploratory workshops were conducted to investigate the experiences and mental health awareness of Deaf individuals (n=12), and their caregivers (n=4), facilitated by sign language interpreters (n=4). These workshops revealed a significant gap in Bangla Sign Language vocabulary related to mental health. In response, the research team initiated the development of the first digitally delivered Bangla Mental Health Sign Language Bank through an adapted Delphi study and focus group approach. The three-phased Delphi study involved mental health professionals (n=9), Deaf individuals (n=5), and sign language interpreters (n=3) to identify and prioritize essential mental health terms. This was followed by three focus groups with Deaf individuals (n=6) and sign language interpreters (n=4) to collaboratively develop the final sign language bank digitally.
Results: Qualitative findings from the workshops revealed five major themes: social stigmatisation and discrimination, social isolation, denial of healthcare support, inability to express emotions, lack of mental health support, and the supportive role of family and mental health awareness. These exploratory insights informed the development of an accessible and inclusive digital mental health resource—the Bangla Mental Health Sign Language Bank—through a participatory action research approach. The co- development process of the sign language bank is detailed in this paper.
Interpretation: This research explored the mental health struggles of the Deaf community and presented a novel digital resource to ensure a shared understanding of mental health terms among the Deaf community. It can pave the way to design future digital tools to support the mental health
of Deaf communities in Bangladesh and similar settings.

What’s the issue that requires action? When it comes to mental health concerns and suicide, media and other communicators informing communities and engaging them in conversations about these issues is critical for prevention, intervention and postvention efforts as well as broader policy and strategy development. What and how they communicate about these issues also matters. The words and images used can reinforce or reduce shame and stigma, impact help-seeking and help-offering and, in some cases, increase or decrease suicidal behaviour.

What do we know? Based on research exploring the links between communication and its impact, guidelines have been developed for communicating about suicide and mental health concerns. Internationally, this guidance is predominantly focused on media reporting, given the broader scope for community impact than other forms of communication. Implementation of media guidelines, particularly in the Australian context through Everymind’s Mindframe program, have been found to be impactful and cost-effective prevention activities. One component of this implementation program includes developing additional guidance for media on specific or emerging issues, incidents or populations.

How has this been put into practice? This presentation focuses on recent work by Everymind in partnerships with population specific organisations and communities, developing new resources to communicate safely and sensitively about First Nations suicide, child and youth suicide and suicide and mental health concerns in LGBTIQA+ communities. The processes for developing these resources are outlined with a particular focus on partnering for impact and authenticity, inclusion of people with a lived and living experience of suicide, and ensuring resources are fit for purpose.

What actions should we take in the future? These resources contribute to ongoing efforts to enhance media reporting on suicide, working to reduce stigma and distress, and encouraging prevention and early help-seeking. Additional resources, centred on connections with communities, will be developed as needed.

The mental health of women, girls, trans and gender diverse people is shaped by a complex mix of environmental, social and biological influences across the life course, and their individual wellbeing is deeply interconnected to the wellbeing of the communities that they belong to. Systemic barriers include persistent gender inequality, gendered violence and intersecting forms of discrimination that create unique challenges that limit women, girls, trans and gender diverse people's ability to protect and improve their wellbeing.

In the Loddon Mallee region, females are 1.5 times more likely than males to be diagnosed with a long-term mental health condition, 1.9 times more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression and 1.3 times more likely to report high or very high levels of psychological distress. The challenges to achieving and maintaining good mental health are compounded by factors that include social isolation, rurality, limited-service access, disability and financial hardship.

Women’s Health Loddon Mallee undertook the development of a regional strategy to empower women, girls, trans and gender diverse people to stay well and protect their mental health throughout their lives. This gender transformative approach brings together the voices of women, trans and gender diverse people, and is informed by local data, community surveys, stakeholder interviews and a working group that identified strengths, opportunities and lived experiences.

When women, girls, trans and gender diverse people thrive, their communities thrive too. This presentation will unpack five key priority areas: enhancing local evidence, strengthening community connection, addressing barriers to support, empowering individuals, & embedding mental health in community settings. Examples will demonstrate practical ways to drive meaningful change through health promotion initiatives, using this strategy as a tool to understand the gendered determinants affecting mental health and wellbeing and address the underlying causes of health inequities within regional and rural communities.