Last year, Prince William launched a men’s mental health campaign to throw his weight behind a major drive to raise awareness of the condition. The Duke of Cambridge’s campaign was called ‘Heads Up’ and was aimed at sparking a conversation surrounding mental health. It was a joint collaboration between Heads Together and the Football Association, which the Duke is president of.
The hope was it would support other work being carried out to end the stigma around mental health.
It was also hoped it would “help show the world that our mental health is just as important as our physical health”. During a speech to delegates on the opening of the campaign, William said: “We wouldn’t think twice to ask a mate how he was doing after he broke an arm or an ankle.
“We wouldn’t hesitate to talk about our routine at the gym, or even our need to make it a bit more regular. “But when it comes to our mental health, we — and, by we, I mean men in particular — often have nothing to say at all.
“When we see a friend that looks down, too many of us don’t know how to ask if he’s okay. When we ourselves feel down, we are often ashamed to say we need help. “And when we know we need help, we don’t know where to start.
“The consequences of this silence — confusion, stigma, and even shame — have reached a crisis point in the UK. “At its worst, it has led to appalling rates of suicide in this country — the leading cause of death for men under 45.
“Every day, failing to tackle mental health means that we are not reaching our potential at work. When you struggle in silence, you cannot give it your all. “Failing to tackle our mental health means we are often unwittingly passing on our silent suffering to our children, who need us to take our mental health seriously to play our full role.”
He added: “We are here today to take a big step in shattering this silence. We are going to use one of the most powerful, unifying forces in our society — football — to start the biggest ever conversation on mental health.
“Heads Up will show men we all have mental health just like we have physical health. Building on the amazing attitude that led England to the World Cup semi-finals, it will show us all mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness.”
Kate and Prince William also once helped halt a worrying “taboo” in a landmark move, unearthed accounts reveal. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are renowned for their support in changing perceptions of mental health within the UK, and across the globe.
Each year, the pair show their support for Mental Health Week by raising its profile and sharing their own experiences with the condition. According to the Sunday Express in 2016, Paul Farmer – head of Mind, said the couple were key in promoting greater awareness and understanding of mental health.
At the time, the Duchess demanded the “taboo” of mental health to be crushed. She also urged for fresh help to be given to an “entire generation of children”. Her comments were key to altering perceptions at the time, Mr Farmer said.