Tasmania’s annual mental health conversation starter, Shorts Day, is returning in 2024 for its third edition.
Organisers Speak Up! Stay ChatTY are again encouraging all Tasmanians to wear shorts on June 21, the shortest day of the year, to spark conversations about mental health.
The now-annual event started in 2021 in an effort to challenge mental health stigmas, normalise conversations and raise vital funds for the mental health charity SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY.
Stay ChatTY founder Mitch McPherson said the event is a visual reminder of the importance of starting the conversation, even if it is a bit uncomfortable.
“Just as wearing shorts might be uncomfortable when it’s cold, starting a conversation about mental health can also be challenging,” he said.
The theme for this year’s event is ‘Let Your Shorts Talk’, giving visual reminders that it’s OK to talk about mental health and to prioritise it.
The Stay ChatTY team plans to take a huge pair of shorts around the state in the lead-up to Shorts Day, visiting towns, schools and iconic Tasmanian locations.
“Stay ChatTY’s origins are some our bumper sticker you can see on cars right across the state, this is another way we are looking to let the visual of shorts create important change,” McPherson said.
Over 50% of Tasmanians have reported having a mental illness in their lifetime and more than 1 in 10 are living with a long-term mental health condition, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Every dollar raised from the event will help Stay ChatTY continue its work in promoting positive mental health and preventing suicide through its programs and initiatives.
To register for the event, donate, or purchase Shorts Day merchandise, visit the SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY Shorts Day website.
