October 2026 is Mental Health Month
Join us to walk, run or roll in solidarity for the 1 in 5 Australians who experience a mental illness each year.
Together, we can show them they are not alone.
How It Works
2. Share
Share your page and raise funds to help Australians impacted by mental illness.
3. Walk
Walk, run or roll and log your kilometres throughout October for Mental Health Month.
2,061,605km
for mental health!
Mental Health stats in Australia
1 in 5
Australians experience a mental illness each year.
75%
of common mental health problems emerge before the age of 25.
50%
of people living with mental illness will not seek professional help.
Let's show people with mental illness that we're in this together.
Your support will help Black Dog Institute put ground-breaking new mental health treatment, education and digital services into the hands of the people who need them most, helping to create better mental health for all.
Sign up now for One Foot Forward 2026
Join our community to create better mental health for all Australians.
Paul Rudd takes part in One Foot Forward every year:
"I went through a bad patch with my mental health when I hurt my back and I needed a lot of time off to recover. I had limited mobility, so I started to lose contact with the outside world. Then I lost interest in doing anything at all. My mind just clouded all positive thoughts.
It took me two years to rebuild myself. So when I heard about One Foot Forward I decided to take part. I wanted to connect with other people who had been through something similar.
“The community is a big, supportive family.”
To anyone thinking about taking part in One Foot Forward, I say ‘Do it!’. You get to enjoy the fresh air and get your blood moving. It’s also a fun community thing. Above all, it helps raise funds and awareness that help is out there if you need support for your mental health.”
Register now and join Paul in One Foot Forward 2024.
Your Impact
Advocacy
Sharing world-leading research and real-world stories with policymakers to shape decisions that affect millions, and build a future where all Australians can access timely, affordable care.
Education & Services
Equip teachers with practical tools and professional support to provide safety and guidance to teenagers in the years when they are most vulnerable to forming mental health conditions.
Youth Mental Health
Teaching children with anxiety or depressive symptoms how to create healthier ways of thinking.
Suicide Prevention
Translate research into a digital program which can support people with suicidal thoughts to seek help when they need it most.
Solidarity Wall
Kasey
Victoria
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.
Brendan Quarrell
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.
Petra
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.
Bill Karakousis
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.
Georgia
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.
Joanne Murray A tribute for Sam Williams
Nine months ago the world lost a beautiful, talented soul. My incredible nephew lost his life to mental health and left a world that was perhaps too horrible for this sensitive young man. Sam’s memorial was a celebration of his art, an incredible exhibition of his amazing work. As I looked around the room, which was full of people from all walks of Sam’s life, I wondered how someone who was and is so deeply loved could feel so alone. As an artist, Sam knew that the world needs art and he shared his talents with the world. Whether on a canvas or on a wall, whether he signed it SamCWilliams or Torn, Sam took great pride in his work and in developing his craft. Sam’s work is so diverse. Some pieces are so bright and colourful, and others are dark and introspective. He worked hard on his craft and became a gifted and talented artist. His work is insightful and often a reflection of what he was feeling. His art spoke for him where words were unable to explain his thoughts. His creativity lives on in the beauty he has created through his art, it is his legacy, and it will continue to move and inspire us. I am walking in memory of Sam and in support of his family in the hope that the important work of the Black Dog Institute can provide support to young men like Sam and families like outs.
Chris Missen A tribute for Cori
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.
Dianne Stimpson
I am so grateful to be walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone… we are here for you.
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone. I have been there, I sometimes feel like it’ll always pull me back - but what I know now is that I am not alone and neither are you. Let’s break the stigma, let’s support the hundreds of our fellow Australians that we lose every year. Let’s fight together!