United States First Lady Michelle Obama praised Kate Middleton for being a "passionate voice" for mental health. The Duchess of Cambridge recently served as guest editor of The Huffington Post UK website to raise awareness about children's mental health issues.
BBC News reported that Obama said she was pleased Middleton is a shining "bright light on mental health." This is after the duchess launched the blog series 'Young Minds Matter' at The Huffington Post website.
"The Duchess of Cambridge has been a passionate voice on so many important issues, and I'm grateful that she is using her day as guest editor to shine a bright light on mental health, particularly children's mental health, and on the tens of millions of people who suffer in silence," Obama expressed.
On her post "Let's Make a Real Difference for an Entire Generation of Young Children", Middleton said that mental health problems should no longer be seen as "taboo". She added that she and her husband, Prince William, would not hesitate to seek help if their children George and Charlotte need it.
"What I did not expect was to see that time and time again, the issues that led people to addiction and destructive decision-making seemed to almost always stem from unresolved childhood challenges," Middleton wrote. "It became clear to me that many children - even those younger than five - have to deal with complex problems without the emotional resilience, language or confidence to ask for help."
"We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older. We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness," the duchess added.
The duchess has been guest editing last Wednesday from a temporary newsroom in Kensington Palace. Her role includes commissioning blogs, articles and videos from selected people and organization dedicated to the psychological well-being of children.
