Duchess of Cambridge: How we will help our children

Chris Jelf/PA
Robert Jobson17 February 2016

The Duchess of Cambridge today spoke of her hopes and fears for her children during an impassioned plea for an end to the stigma of mental illness in early life.

In a deeply personal message about children’s mental wellbeing, Kate admitted she and husband Prince William “would not hesitate to seek help” for Prince George and Princess Charlotte “if they needed it”.

She added that it is “time to change” by breaking the taboo that prevents many parents from seeking help for boys and girls struggling to cope, often resulting in devastating problems as they grow up.

She wrote in an article: “We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older.

“We know there’s no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness.”

The Duchess of Cambridge withHuffington Post staff in the 'News Room' at Kensington Palace

The Duchess’s appeal came in a blog launching a series of articles on the theme of Young Minds Matter carried by the Huffington Post, on which she is guest editor today.

She highlighted research published by the news website indicating about a third of parents still worry that they will appear a bad mother or father if their child has a mental health problem.

“For too long we have been embarrassed to admit when our children need emotional or psychiatric help, worried that the stigma associated with these problems would be detrimental to their futures,” she went on.

“Parenting is hard enough without letting prejudices stop us from asking for the help we need for ourselves and our children.”

Kate said children’s mental health must be seen as every bit as important as their physical health.

Today she underlined her commitment by becoming patron of the Hampstead-based Anna Freud Centre, a children’s mental health charity providing clinical services, specialist training and research. The Duchess has been patron of children’s counselling charity Place2Be since 2013.

She wrote: “Shortly after I got married, I started working with charities helping those affected by issues such as addiction, family breakdown and vulnerable children.

“As was to be expected, I often heard some heart-breaking stories about lives that had been torn apart, with devastating impacts for all involved, particularly children. What I did not expect was to see that time and time again, the issues that led people to addiction and destructive decision-making seemed to almost always stem from unresolved childhood challenges. It became clear to me that many children — even those younger than five — have to deal with complex problems without the emotional resilience, language or confidence to ask for help.

“And it was also clear that with mental health problems still being such a taboo, many adults are often too afraid to ask for help for the children in their care. It is time for this to change.

“When families are short of time or money it is not always easy to know where to look for help or advice.

“That is why we need schools and communities to play their full role to help children who are struggling in ways that are not always easy to see. In the series of articles we have commissioned, you will be introduced to some extraordinary people and organisations.

“I am so grateful to all those who have participated in this series and to all those who will contribute after today.

“I am also hugely grateful to all who will take the time to read, watch and listen to these stories. Together we have the chance to make a real difference for an entire generation of children.”

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