Prince William said that celebrities refused to lend a helping hand for his “Heads Together” mental health initiative three years ago.
The royal told to the Davos World Economic Forum that many famous celebrities were approached and unfortunately, none wanted to be a part of his mental health charity. He also said that the wartime generation might have helped create some sort of stigma.
In 2017, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II launched Heads Together, a mental health charity, to help battle the stigma of mental health with the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
The Duke of Cambridge admitted his business leaders about his own struggles with mental health, explaining that there was one distressing incident that he did not think he would overcome. He went on to say that if he had not opened up about his mental health, he would have “gone down a slippery slope” emotionally.
Looking evidently sensitive, he added he still finds the incident very difficult to speak about because it was associated very closely with his children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
The prince had also spoken about traumatic incidents involving his children while working for the air ambulance. However, he said such feelings were “only human.” He stated, “Yes, you put a suit of armor on, but one day something comes along closely related to your own personal life and it really takes you over a line.”
The mental health issue is one of the big themes at this year’s Davos, along with several sessions on the topic.
Many studies have found that at least one in four people will suffer from mental health issues at some point in their life. However, most people still feel uncomfortable about speaking out or seeking professional help.
The prince said there is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health and many are suffering in silence despite great awareness.
He explained to a packed audience at Davos that for some reasons, people are too embarrassed to talk about their emotions, especially British people. He reckons the British stiff upper lip was common in previous generations, which has a lot to do with it.
The attitude of not speaking about mental health was passed onto future generation, especially after the First and Second world wars, when it became much difficult to talk about such atrocious circumstances. And the whole generation inherited it. “You don’t talk about it” – this was the attitude.
However, the duke said, “A new generation knows that’s not normal.” “It’s becoming aware that it’s better to be open about how they are feeling.” William urged companies to take the initiative and do more. He said it should come from the top and it would be much easier to go to HR.
During the debate at Davos, the audience was asked if they or anyone they knew had even suffered from a mental health issue. Surprisingly, almost everyone raised a hand.
Prince William was at the forum with Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, who has made combating mental illness a top priority for her government. She said it was really a sad fact that everyone in New Zealand knows of “someone who has taken their own life” due to mental health issues.
John Flint, HSBC bank boss, who was also on the panel, said that in the notoriously competitive banking industry, mental health issues were common. He said it was important for people at the top to speak about mental health issues to allow those who are lower down in the organization to speak up and seek help. Flint added, “We all sit on the spectrum (of mental health). I know there’s a profound difference between when I’m feeling my best and when I’m not.” He said the bank has been training managers to recognize the signs of mental health issues to help staff deal with them effectively.
