The Duke of Sussex also said that the ‘same struggles keep coming up’
Prince Harry(Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Prince Harry has made an emotional admission and has said that ‘silence is killing people’.
The Duke of Sussex made his latest comments as he took part in a panel conversation with men’s health charity Movember in New York.
He warned that men are suffering in silence and isolation, describing how he has noticed that the ‘same struggles keep coming up’.
Harry was at the launch of a Movember Institute of Men’s Health report into why men struggle to ask for help.
It found 53 per cent men in the US are dying prematurely before their 75th birthday.
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The prince joined researchers for a discussion which explored ‘a portrait of American masculinity at a crossroads’, Harry’s Archewell charity said.
Harry, who has long been an advocate for greater mental health help, said: “When I speak to men, the same struggles keep coming up, which tells me that the weight they carry isn’t uncommon.
“The biggest barrier is the belief that no one will understand.
“Loneliness convinces you you’re the only one, which is rarely true.”
The duke raised concerns about social media, stressing that too many young men were being raised by algorithms.
This makes them feel powerless and hopeless, rather than real mentors, such as fathers, coaches and friends, he said.
Harry also hailed members of the military and first responders as some of the most powerful role models, saying: “They are the real superheroes.”
The prince, who is married to Meghan Markle, added: “I found myself speaking to many veterans and, sitting down with them, I realised the silence is killing people.
“Stamping out the stigma globally, we’ve come a long way.
“Access to therapy is still a massive problem.”
Creating more spaces, online and offline, where conversations can take place and where seeking help is normalised is the challenge, he said.
Research from The Real Face Of Men’s Health: USA report indicated that men consistently underestimate how many of their peers support open, emotional conversations.
Men in the US are more than twice as likely as women to die from accidents and drug overdoses.
About 20 per cent are more likely to die from cancer and 3.6 times as likely to die prematurely by suicide.
More than one in four men aged 18 to 34 reported experiencing mental ill‑health in the last year, with the highest rate among men aged 30 to 34 (32 per cent), according to the data.
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