Mullets For Mental Health Kicks Off Today

If you knew that your haircut could make a difference in someone’s life, would you consider it? Black Dog Institute’s Mullets for Mental Health kicks off today.

Inspired by the rise of interesting home haircuts during COVID lockdowns in 2020 and a significant increase in the number of Aussies experiencing symptoms of mental health, Mullets for Mental Health is all about having a little fun for a very worthy cause.

Black Dog Institute’s Mullet for Mental Health Campaign Coordinator, Tom Farrar said almost 80 per cent of Australians claimed their mental health had worsened due to the pandemic and many continued to experience ongoing mental health concerns. “When it comes to mullets at Black Dog Institute it is all about research at the front, and action at the back,” Mr Farrar said.

“Mullets for Mental Health is a fun and engaging way to initiate those important mental health conversations that we need to be having - it’s a way to show your fellow Aussies that you’re all ears for mental health by raising funds to drive ground-breaking research into the early detection, prevention and treatment of common mental health illnesses.”

Money raised in previous years has supported programs such as Under the Radar which looks at the characteristics, experiences, and barriers to accessing clinical support for those with mental ill health but not seeking support.

Donations have also helped to grow Future Proofing, Black Dog Institute’s school-based five-year trial that aims to prevent depression and anxiety in young people.

With the community’s help this year, Black Dog Institute will be able to continue to connect research answers, expert knowledge and the voices of people who have experienced mental ill-health to create a mentally healthier world.

Black Dog Institute is the only medical research institute in the country that investigates mental health across the lifespan.

Important statistics:

Forty-five per cent of Australians will experience mental illness in their lifetime.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44 years. That’s more deaths per year than car accidents.
Eight people in Australia die from suicide every day and male suicides make up three-quarters of all suicides in Australia.
Mental illness costs Australian businesses $39 billion each year.

You can still get involved with Mullets for Mental Health during September.

Visit www.mulletsformentalhealth.org.au to register or donate.