Prince William wants everyone to talk more about mental health issues, starting with kids today. In a message posted on the website of Heads Together, a campaign he leads along with his wife and brother, the Duke of Cambridge acknowledged that attitudes about mental health have changed for the better, but long-held stigmas still persist:
While the circumstances of any one situation are unique, it is clear that many families could have been helped if they had found it easier to talk openly about mental health challenges in the home. And I have been really disheartened to learn that even with all the progress made in recent years, many parents would still be ashamed if their children had a mental health problem.
Prince William’s letter is an excellent reminder that one in five kids deals with such issues before they’re a teenager. That’s all the more reason to make conversations a priority, rather than waiting until something serious happens.
