Perhaps the most encouraging news story in the past couple of weeks has been the announcement of Duchess Kate of Cambridge's plans to tackle the stigma associated with mental illnesses, particularly as it relates to children. She was so bold as to proclaim to the press last week that if either of her children were experiencing emotional or psychological problems, she would not hesitate to seek professional help. First lady Michelle Obama will join her in the cause. This is very good news for the field of mental health in that an endorsement of this magnitude will hopefully raise awareness of the importance of early intervention and the need for proactively addressing children's emotional and behavioral problems.
Mental health professionals contend with this issue daily, as parents hesitate to pursue early treatment for their children due to concerns about stigma attached to therapy, and fail to follow through with the recommendations of mental health providers. Perhaps the endorsement of royalty, accompanied by the support and partnership of the first lady, will put hesitant parents at ease. Let's hope so.
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