Prince William has announced that he is launching a landmark new mental health initiative – focusing on workplace wellbeing and giving employers the tools to support staff with problems. The Mental Health at Work project will be a website that provides resources, training and information for managers, especially those from small to medium companies who struggle to find the help. The Duke of Cambridge will launch the project as part of the Royal Foundation's Heads Together campaign, alongside the mental health charity Mind.
William has launched an inspiring new mental health initiative
William will pay a visit to networking hub Engine Shed in Bristol to kickstart the new initiative, and will also drop-in on workshops demonstrating the website and meet people trying out the system. The launch comes as Mind releases the findings of a major study into workplace wellbeing, which found almost half of the 44,000 workers questioned had experienced poor mental health in their current job.
The survey revealed only half of those who had experienced poor mental health had talked to their employer about the issue, suggesting as many as one in four UK workers is struggling in silence with problems such as anxiety, low mood and stress.
Heads Together is the Royal Foundation's mental health campaign
Heads Together was launched in May 2016 by Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - now joined by the Duchess of Sussex, too - with the aim to raise awareness and minimise stigma around mental health issues. Harry, William and Kate have all been open about their own struggles in a bid to get others talking, too.
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Back in March, the Prince discussed the importance of mental health at work during an appearance at the Workplace Wellbeing Conference. "Everyone in this room knows that while work can provide a great sense of fulfilment, it can – at times – be a significant source of stress and negatively impact our mental health. Yet, data from the Heads Together campaign showed that the number of people who would feel able to talk to their HR departments about their mental health was a mere two per cent," he said.
