Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marked World Mental Health Day by participating in Project Healthy Minds’ annual festival in New York City on Friday.
The couple’s Archewell Foundation organised three panel discussions at the event, which gathered industry leaders to examine the future of mental health.
The Duke of Sussex addressed attendees from the stage whilst Meghan observed from the front row during the opening session.
The first panel explored young people’s wellbeing in digital environments, titled “Thriving or Surviving: How Are Young People Doing in the Digital Age?”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marked World Mental Health Day by participating in Project Healthy Minds’ annual festival in New York City on Friday.
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Harry emphasised the significance of collective action on mental health, stating: “Today is more than just about conversation, it’s about community.
“The past five years have taught us painfully that crises rarely arrive in isolation”.
The duke noted how the pandemic had removed life’s normal structures, causing increased mental health difficulties.
Harry also addressed technology’s transformation of human experience, saying: “Our digital world has fundamentally changed how we experience reality.”
The duke noted how the pandemic had removed life’s normal structures, causing increased mental health difficulties.
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The duchess later presented a second discussion examining childhood mental health challenges, moderated by Katie Couric.
Meghan introduced the panel “How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an International Mental Health Crisis, And How We Can Reverse It,” addressing concerns about modern childhood.
The Duchess of Sussex said: “For this next panel, we’re going to turn to one of the most urgent questions facing families today: what’s happening to childhood and how and what do we do to allow our children to just be children.”
She discussed Archewell Foundation’s Parents Network, which assists families harmed by social media. She revealed meeting families devastated by online-related tragedies three years ago.
The duchess later presented a second discussion examining childhood mental health challenges.
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Meghan explained: “What we learned in these moments is that these parents, they didn’t just need therapy, they need the other parents who understood their very specific grief”.
On Thursday evening, Harry and Meghan attended Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Gala in the city.
The organisation presented them with its Humanitarians of the Year Award, recognising their efforts to create safer online spaces and advance mental health initiatives worldwide.
Their award acknowledged the impact of their advocacy work through various initiatives aimed at protecting young people from digital harm.
The two-day engagement in New York continued their commitment to mental health causes, particularly focusing on how technology affects young people’s wellbeing and supporting families dealing with online-related tragedies.