Watch: Heads Together Films – Stephen Fry, Professor Green and Ruby Wax on how they opened up about mental health problems
Published
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have released two new films in the series. The films feature people from all walks of life talking, often with the person that they first opened up to, about the life changing conversation that helped them cope with their mental health problems.
The films published on the Heads Together YouTube page and website tells a range of stories from people across the UK including actor and writer Stephen Fry to musician Professor Green.
The playlist also includes candid interviews with Cricketer Freddie Flintoff; two paramedics based in Blackpool; comedian Ruby Wax and her husband Ed; model Adwoa Aboah with her mum; a blogger and her mum; Radio DJ Mim Shaikh with his mentor; writer Alastair Campbell talking with his partner, Fiona and two mums on experiencing motherhood for the first time.
Each story delves into a different mental health issues from from anxiety, alcoholism and depression through to loneliness, trauma and bereavement.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry said: "Since we launched Heads Together last May, we have seen time and time again that shattering stigma on mental health starts with simple conversations."
When you realise that mental health problems affect your friends, neighbours, children and spouses, the walls of judgement and prejudice around these issues begin to fall. And we all know that you cannot resolve a mental health issue by staying silent
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry
On the release of the films, Their Royal Highnesses said: "We hope these films show people how simple conversations can change the direction of an entire life. Please share them with your friends and families and join us in a national conversation on mental health in the weeks ahead."
Alongside the film series, Heads Together published the most comprehensive survey of how people in Britain talk about their mental health carried out by YouGov. It shows that almost half of us (46%) have talked recently about mental health, with a quarter of us talking about our own mental health.
Attitudes to mental health are at a tipping point
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry
Eight out of ten people who have talked about their own mental health found these conversations helpful. The findings show Britain is ‘opening up’ about its mental health but equally highlight some of the challenges that still remain. Men are less likely to talk than women and people aged 18- 24 are almost twice as likely to discuss mental health than those over 65. Also, fewer than one in five people who have had a conversation have talked to their GP and fewer than one in ten spoke either to a supervisor at work or a counsellor.
Related content
The Duke of Cambridge visits some of Britain's world-class vehicle manufacture sites
20 February 2018Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle make their first official visit together to Scotland
13 February 2018A speech by The Duke of Cambridge at the National Launch of Step into Health, London
Supporting veterans has always been a key plank of the work my brother and I have done through The Royal Foundation. The men and women of our armed forces who stand up to...
A speech by The Duke of Cambridge at the Children's Global Media Summit, Manchester
06 December 2017A speech by The Duchess of Cambridge at the Place2Be School Leaders Forum, London
Whether we are school leaders, teachers, support staff or parents – we're all in this together. We are all working to give children the emotional strength they need to face...
The Duke of Cambridge gives a speech at the Tusk Trust Ball
Enormous strides have been made in tackling the threat posed to so many species by the illegal wildlife trade.
Prince Harry gives a speech at the WellChild Awards
This is my tenth year as WellChild's patron and of course I'm honoured to be here at another awards ceremony celebrating the powerful work of this organisation.