Mental health is an issue that is becoming an integral part of today's lifestyle. Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, had launched Shout in 2019. Their Royal Foundation supports it. Shout was their first major project. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also with them initially but split from the Foundation after a month and set up their own charitable organization. Later, they quit as senior working royals in 2020.
Kate thanked the health workers for their efforts to help adults across the U.K. who had to struggle against threats that affected their mental setup.
The visit of the Duchess of Cambridge was to mark a milestone. That was of Shout reaching out to more than one million conversations with the needy. She met people at different levels, including volunteers and fundraisers. She thanked them for their continued efforts towards the cause of improving their mental well-being. It had to be a 24X7 affair so that necessary support was available at all times.
Kate gave a patient hearing to members involved in mental health
During interaction with members of Shout, Kate came to know how the service was spreading its wing. It intends to invite public members to join Shout and become volunteers to cater to the growing demand for support. It is the only U.K.-based text messaging support service for advising people on the subject.
It offers free and confidential help to anyone. Shout has held conversations with millions of people struggling to come to terms with reality. They are stressed, suffer from depression, are suicidal, and need immediate support. The use of the platform has increased since the start of the pandemic.
In April 2020, Prince Harry launched a 24X7 service for the mental health of military workers.
Data from Shout service can provide insights on mental health in the U.K.
Shout's platform helps generate useful data related to various aspects of mental health. Compiling such data can provide insights on the subject as far as Britain is concerned.
The current breakup indicates the main reasons are suicide, depression, and anxiety or stress in that order. Kate used the opportunity to watch a live demonstration of the platform. Later, she heard about the experiences of volunteers who help those in distress. Some of them talked about personal benefits from participating in the service. They gained new skills and developed a sense of purpose.
The reach of the mental health text service is impressive
According to Standard U.K., the Duchess of Cambridge was all praises for a teenage Scout who is a volunteer of the text service Shout. He raised $10,780 (£8,000) by sleeping outside in a hammock for a year. It was an example of dedication to the cause.
Kate hailed him as "an inspiration." He did not bother about temperatures as low as minus five to raise money for the charity. Instead, he slept under a heavy-duty tarpaulin to protect himself from the extremities of the weather. He revealed his next fundraising exercise would be to cycle to Scotland. Kate's visit to the center in Notting Hill was to mark a landmark. That was about the mental health text service reaching over one million text conversations.
