Ash_Administrator_Ville June 23, 2016
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, recently released a statement about youth and teen mental health on Father’s Day. As a father of two, he urged parents to be open with their children about youth and teen mental health issues–and to treat them with as much importance as they treat physical health issues. He spoke about the importance of being aware of the signs of youth and teen mental health issues in order to catch them early, which would solve a lot of issues connected to suicide and homelessness.
Youth and teen mental health as important as physical health
Prince William spoke about the importance of mental health compared to physical health:
“In particular, it is a time to reflect on my responsibility to look after not just the physical health of my two children, but to treat their mental needs as just as important a priority.”
He brought up a point that many don’t pay attention to: mental health and physical health need to be focused on equally. One can not be healthy without the other, they’re integrated into one another. This means that youth and teen mental health needs to be prioritized just as much as physical health is at home, at school, and anywhere else.
Parents of children with mental health issues aren’t failures
He also brought up the stigma against mental health issues, even though 1 in 5 children will struggle with a mental health issue at some point:
“Recent surveys have found that over half of parents have never broached the topic of mental well-being with their children, and a third would feel like failures if their child needed help. That’s so sad – no parents whose child needs help is a failure. Taking the next step and actually getting help is what matters.”
Prince William hits the nail on the head: just because your child is struggling with a mental health issue doesn’t mean you’ve failed as a parent. Many youth and teen mental health issues are nearly impossible to avoid–but most can be treated in some way. Instead of being embarrassed, help your child through this hard time and don’t make them feel like a failure for having mental health struggles, because they’re most certainly not.
Asheville Academy is here to help
Asheville Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for young girls, ages 10-14, struggling with depression, ADHD, anxiety, and other behavioral or mental issues.
For more information about how Asheville Academy can help your daughter, call 800-264-8709 today!
