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.
2,061,074km
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
Lionel S
Leonie
Walking for those no longer with us and those who struggle to stay because one life lost is one to many. Together we show that strangers care about the lives of others and that none is ever alone
Matt Spender
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.
Dora K
I am walking for everyone fighting mental illness in the sporting sector and for anyone who struggles to see light at the end of the tunnel like I once did. Together we can get through it!
Mickayla
I’m walking in solidarity of people suffering either silently or not with mental illnesses. I’ve struggled my whole life too. Just know, you’re not alone.
Brett
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone. Let's spread awareness.
Sam W
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone.
Greg Cleveland
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone. I have family members, friends and to some extent myself affected by mental illness and it does no good to suffer in silence. We need people to understand what it is like for people that suffer, they may look OK on the outside but inside it is a constant battle.
Candace A tribute for All my friends who just couldn’t see the light at the end.
We are not alone! We can do this! We can see even the slightest glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel! In the words of the formidable Albus Dumbledore “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light”. We all need to remember to turn on the light.
I’m walking in solidarity this October for Australians affected by mental illness and suicide. You are not alone. We are always here.