Kate plea for children ‘ struggling to cope’
THE Duchess of Cambridge is appealing for a change in attitudes towards the mental health problems affecting one in 10 of Britain’s children.
In a video message today marking the UK’s fi rst Children’s Mental Health Week, she said young people damaged by family breakdown, domestic violence and a long working hours culture were “struggling to cope” alone.
Kate, who is seven months pregnant with her second child, recorded the message in her role as royal patron of the charity Place2Be, which gives support in schools to vulnerable children. She and Prince William are strong advocates of intervention in primary schools to help children deal with emotional and mental health problems before they become bigger issues affecting them during adulthood.
“Both William and I have seen that many young people are struggling to cope with the impact of bullying, bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown and more,” she said.
“The stigma around mental health means that many children do not get the help that they so badly need.”
Her charity said research showed almost a third of parents admitted they would be embarrassed if their child wanted counselling in school and 22 per cent would not encourage it.
Last month the Government revealed that NHS spending on children’s mental health services had fallen by the equivalent of six per cent since 2010.
The message represents a change in Kate’s approach to her royal duties, an attempt to fi nd her own voice on an issue on which she feels strongly.