In honour of World Mental Health day the Prince and Princess of Wales – both prolific activists in the field – took over Radio 1’s Newsbeat to speak to four guests about the importance of looking out for other and speaking out.
During the 15-minute special, which was recorded yesterday but aired today at lunch time Kate and William met with mental health campaigners and charity workers including 24-year-old Antonio Ferreria, who’s own diagnosis of schizophrenia and time on a psychiatric ward lead to him now studying psychology in the hopes of being a doctor, and even advising EastEnders on their recent schizophrenia storyline.
Speaking to Dr Abigail Miranda from the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, William asked what we can do to keep our mental health ‘toolkits’ in top condition, asserting that everyone, ‘especially men’, loves a toolkit.
‘A lot of people don't realise what they need until it actually comes along,’ he said.
‘You can be living one life one minute and something massively changes and you realise you don't necessarily have the tools or experience to be able to tackle that.
‘If we can't look after ourselves we're not going to be able to tackle the issues we feel we have to on a day-to-day basis.’
And Kate added that there’s ‘no right answer’ about how to look after your mental health, and that ‘Different things will work for different people and it's just sometimes trying different methods, different opportunities that arise to help best support you.
‘Everyone has mental health, in the same way as their physical health we have to look after it, in the same way we go to the gym, we need to look after and nurture our minds as well.’
They also spoke to music therapist Ben Cowley, creator of the UK's only 24-hour mental health support line Shout, which the then-Cambridges and Sussexes helped launch in 2019, and Emma Hardwell, from the charity The Mix.
It’s the latest in ongoing commitments of the couple to raise awareness and push for better mental health care, coming just weeks after making their first official engagement as Prince and Princess visiting a suicide prevention charity in Northern Ireland.
At the start of the pandemic, when they were still the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they backed a Public Health England campaign to prioritise mental health during the first stages of lockdown, saying, ‘'The last few weeks have been anxious and unsettling for everyone. We have to take time to support each other and find ways to look after our mental health.
'It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental wellbeing. By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead.'
The charity they run with William’s brother Harry, Heads Together, has continues to engage with young people, veterans, homeless charities and emergency response services to tackle the route of many of our ‘societal challenges’.