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Prince William says celebrities shunned mental health charity | Prince William says celebrities shunned mental health charity |
(35 minutes later) | |
Prince William has said that every celebrity he asked to back his Heads Together mental health initiative three years ago refused. | Prince William has said that every celebrity he asked to back his Heads Together mental health initiative three years ago refused. |
The Duke of Cambridge told the Davos World Economic Forum that "a lot" of stars were approached, but none wanted to be associated with mental illness. | |
He also said the wartime generation may have helped create some of the stigma. | |
People preferred not talk about such "horrendous" events, a stoic attitude passed on to their children. | |
The prince created Heads Together, launched to help combat the stigma of mental health, in 2017 with the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. | |
The duke told his audience of business leaders about his own struggles with mental health, saying there was one traumatic incident that he didn't think he would "ever get over". | |
He said if he hadn't opened up to colleagues about the situation, he would have "gone down a slippery slope" mentally. | He said if he hadn't opened up to colleagues about the situation, he would have "gone down a slippery slope" mentally. |
Looking visibly emotional, he said he still found the incident "very difficult to talk about" because it was "related very closely to my children", George, Charlotte and Louis. | Looking visibly emotional, he said he still found the incident "very difficult to talk about" because it was "related very closely to my children", George, Charlotte and Louis. |
The prince has spoken previously about "very traumatic" callouts involving children while working for the air ambulance. | The prince has spoken previously about "very traumatic" callouts involving children while working for the air ambulance. |
But he said such feelings were "only human", adding: "Yes, you put a suit of armour on… but one day something comes along closely related to your own personal life and it really takes you over a line." | But he said such feelings were "only human", adding: "Yes, you put a suit of armour on… but one day something comes along closely related to your own personal life and it really takes you over a line." |
Wartime generation | |
The issue of mental health is a big theme at this year's Davos, with several sessions on the topic. | The issue of mental health is a big theme at this year's Davos, with several sessions on the topic. |
Studies show one in four people will suffer from mental illness at some point in their life, but many people are still too embarrassed to admit they have a problem. | Studies show one in four people will suffer from mental illness at some point in their life, but many people are still too embarrassed to admit they have a problem. |
Despite a greater willingness to discuss the issue, the prince said that a lot of stigma remains, meaning "so many people are suffering in silence". | Despite a greater willingness to discuss the issue, the prince said that a lot of stigma remains, meaning "so many people are suffering in silence". |
He added: "For some reason, people are embarrassed about their emotions - British people particularly," he told a packed audience at Davos. | He added: "For some reason, people are embarrassed about their emotions - British people particularly," he told a packed audience at Davos. |
He feels the British stiff upper lip that was common in previous generations has a lot to do with it. | |
The attitude was passed onto children, especially after the First and Second world wars when it became difficult to talk about "such horrendous circumstances". | |
"A whole generation inherited [this way of coping]. This was the way you deal with your problems: you don't talk about it." | |
But he said "a new generation knows that's not normal" and is becoming aware that it's better to be open about how they are feeling. | But he said "a new generation knows that's not normal" and is becoming aware that it's better to be open about how they are feeling. |
The prince urged companies to do more. "It should be so much easier to go to HR and talk about it. It has to come from the top." | The prince urged companies to do more. "It should be so much easier to go to HR and talk about it. It has to come from the top." |
Spotting the signs | Spotting the signs |
During the debate, the audience was asked whether they or anyone they knew had suffered from a mental illness. Nearly everyone in the room raised a hand. | During the debate, the audience was asked whether they or anyone they knew had suffered from a mental illness. Nearly everyone in the room raised a hand. |
The Duke of Cambridge was at the forum with New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who has made tackling mental health problems a priority for her government. | |
She said it was a sad fact that everyone in New Zealand, a small country of less than 5 million people, knows of "someone who has taken their own life". | |
HSBC bank boss John Flint, also on the panel, said that in the "notoriously competitive" banking industry mental health problems were common. | |
He said it was imperative that people at the top spoke about it to allow those lower down in the organisation to open up. | He said it was imperative that people at the top spoke about it to allow those lower down in the organisation to open up. |
"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 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 added. |
Mr Flint said the bank was training managers to spot signs of mental health problems so they could help staff deal with them. | Mr Flint said the bank was training managers to spot signs of mental health problems so they could help staff deal with them. |
He said it made business sense given the impact problems had on workers' performance. | He said it made business sense given the impact problems had on workers' performance. |