Kate Middleton says we need to talk about children’s mental health

“We need to talk about children’s mental health” says Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge in this heartfelt recorded video message.

The Duchess of Cambridge says that she is “incredibly proud” to support Children’s Mental Health Week and to be Patron of the children’s mental health charity Place2be.

This week is about raising awareness of children’s mental health. Can you help her? Can you help to share this message?

In this recorded video, Kate states that every child needs to grow up developing skills to meet life setbacks, which begin in childhood.

Unarguably, the environment that children are in can leave them struggling to develop the necessary skills that support brain development, emotional wellbeing and mental health.

The Duchess of Cambridge says that through her work, particularly around addiction supporting charities like Action on Addiction, she realised that the roots often stem from childhood. She says that this needs to change! She and Prince William believe “every child deserves to be supported through difficult times in their lives.”

Kate will continue to promote mental health in young people when she acts as a guest editor for Huffington Post UK on 17 February 16.

The Duchess is due to join the team in a temporary newsroom set up at Kensington Palace to launch Young Minds Matter. Yound Minds Matter is a new initiative to discuss the stigma surrounding the UK’s mental health problem among children.

How can the rest of us support the wellbeing and mental health of children?

As highlighted by the Duchess of Cambridge, it is important to teach children tools that help them understand how emotions work.  This learning will develop their capacity to regulate their moods and manage adversity throughout their lives and support brain development.

One way to support children’s brain development and mood regulation is through mindfulness. According to scientific findings, mindfulness training helps to develop resilience and emotional tools supporting brain development.  It can be taught to parents and children in primary schools,  secondary schools, youth and family settings.