The Cambridges Speak to Family Supported by Shout

Earlier this week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge participated in a virtual call from Sandringham with a family who have been supported by Shout 85258 mental health support service.

Like so many children and indeed people of all ages, twelve-year-old Jack began experiencing severe anxiety during the pandemic. It had progressed to the point where he considered ending his own life. One evening, Jack decided to text Shout. His parents were unaware of this and only learned of it when a police officer contacted them to let them know their son was safe. In the video below, names and voices have been changed to protect anonymity.

More from Shout:

'During their private conversation, The Duke and Duchess talked to both Jack and his parents, who described how the experience had been for the family. They talked about the close and loving relationships they have with all of their children, their ability to talk and listen as a family about difficult things, and their busy and fun household. Yet despite this, they hadn’t realised the extent of the great distress their son Jack had found himself in during lockdown.

The Duke and Duchess heard how they had noticed that their once open, gregarious, fun loving and inquisitive son had become more introverted during the Covid-19 lockdown of spring and summer 2020. Jack spent increasing amounts of time on his own, no longer connecting with his friends online or on the phone, and struggling with online school. Jack became increasingly anxious about the future, and whether life would ever get back to some sort of normality. His father described how there was no trigger point for Jack’s anxiety which made it harder to understand how bad things had become.

The Duke and Duchess heard how, when Jack returned to school in Autumn 2020, his anxiety escalated. What Jack’s family didn’t know was that it had reached a dangerous level where the only solution he could see was to end his life. Jack’s parents explained how he had reached out to Shout in a pivotal moment, and, during a text conversation, a volunteer had been able to prevent Jack from ending his life.'

Jack told the couple that having the conversation via text rather than over the phone helped him to open up. He also spoke of the importance of educating children about mental health and reaching out in times of difficulty. The couple praised him for his "incredible bravery".

Shout shared some information on the worrying statistics they are seeing at present. "35% of our texters are under the age of 18, which might not seem surprising. But what often startles people is that 7% of the people we have conversations with are children under the age of 13, like Jack. In fact we’ve had around 45,000 conversations with children in this age bracket since we launched the Shout service, and supported the mental health of around 18,000 children. The issues raised by children in their conversations range from bullying (9% of conversations), through self-harm (24% of conversations), anxiety (28% of conversations) and suicide (31% of conversations)."

Kensington Palace notes, "Shout operates 24/7 and connects people in need to trained volunteers who provide help at a time when it is most needed; enabling them to move from a moment of crisis to a calm state and form a plan for next steps to find longer-term support. As texting is private and silent, it opens up a whole new way to find help.  It provides instant support - you can have a conversation at any time – at school, at home, on the bus, anywhere. This service is for everyone, but for younger people especially, texting is a trusted and familiar form of communication, and using text rather than apps makes it simple and accessible for everyone with a phone." The service was launched by the Cambridges and the Sussexes in 2018.

The Duchess wore her Equipment Slim Signature Polka-Dot Shirt.

The £270 piece is described as, "Cut from lightweight washed-silk, it has a slightly loose fit and curved hem that looks especially cool styled half-tucked." It's available in sizes XXS - XXL at Equipment and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Kate accessorised with her £5 Accessorize Twisted Circle Drop earrings.

On Sunday at 5 pm, BBC One will air a special programme entitled A Celebration for Commonwealth Day in lieu of the annual service at Westminster Abbey. Buckingham Palace revealed, "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have spoken to medical, charity and voluntary staff from across the Commonwealth to hear more about the work they have been carrying out to care for those within their communities. Throughout their conversations, the Duke and Duchess heard from those on the calls about what inspired them to support their communities, the impact of the vital work they are carrying out, and how they have adapted their efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic." The clips will certainly by uploaded by the royal social media accounts, so those outside the UK will be able to view. 

We're also sending warm wishes to Prince Philip who underwent a successful procedure at St Bartholomew's Hospital earlier this week and has now returned to King Edward VII hospital. Whilst he is expected to remain in hospital for several more days, it is very good news.