Royals shine a light on 'stigma' of mental health issues

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have released the films. Credit: PA

Not everything the royals do is worth reporting.

But that should not stop us from pointing out the important work the royals from Kensington Palace (William, Kate, and Harry) have done on mental health.

It is still the case that you're more likely to admit to having treatment for a broken leg than you are to admit you're seeing someone for an 'invisible injury' like a breakdown or depression.

But the campaign the young royals have launched today is to be commended.

I'm told the Princes and the Duchess of Cambridge were actively involved in encouraging many of the celebrities and others to come forward to make the videos. You can watch some of them on the link below.

Freddie Flintoff, Professor Green, Ruby Wax and our former colleague Mark Austin are among many people who have shared a video of their conversation about mental health.

'So what?' You might ask. 'How will a video change anything?'

The videos feature celebrities opening up about their mental health battles Credit: #Oktosay

It can - and will - change attitudes to mental health illnesses and help to remove the stigma which still surrounds the issue.

By encouraging people to have a conversation with a member of the family, a friend, a work colleague, even a stranger, helps to break down barriers and share a burden which too many people carry alone.

It might be a serious mental health disorder or depression - or something less acute like anxiety - but a conversation about it can put many people on a path towards treatment and recovery.

Prince William's first call out on his air ambulance was to a suicide.

Prince Harry has seen those with post-conflict stress from his time in the Army.

And Kate has also been told of the problem of mental health in the work she has done on family breakdowns and on post-natal difficulties.

So the Heads Together campaign they are spearheading has given some real momentum to the issue.

An issue which has been brushed under the carpet for too many years.