Prince William's New Documentary Tackles Mental Health Awareness

From Town & Country

It's no secret that Prince William loves football. (That's soccer for those in the States.) He's the President of the Football Association, which is the governing body of English football; he's brought up Prince George as a fellow football fanatic; and he's sent encouraging messages to the national teams during the World Cup.

Earlier this month, he announced the launch of "Head's Up," a new mental health initiative and partnership between the Football Association and the organization Head's Together. And today, Prince William announced that he's making a documentary about men's mental fitness.

The program, which is being commissioned by BBC1 and supported by Heads Together, uses football as a lens through which people can understand the importance of mental health, specifically in men. Prince William uses football both because of his passion for it and because it's a surefire way to reach men in particular. A press release was sent out this morning detailing the film and the mission behind it, but there was no mention of a premiere date.

The release also highlights concerning statistics: men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, and it's the leading cause of death for men under age 45. The purpose of the film is to encourage men to be more open and honest about their mental health struggles.

The film will follow the entire football season and highlight various initiatives, "from the Premier League down to the grassroots projects." The Prince will also speak to fans and athletes alike about mental wellbeing. The documentary builds on Prince William's film project from earlier this year called A Royal Team Talk, which had similar themes to the upcoming documentary.

Heads Together announced the documentary on Twitter today, posting a photo of Prince William speaking to athletes.

Prince William isn't the only royal passionate about mental health: the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex teamed up with Prince William earlier this year to launch Shout, a crisis text-line. The upcoming documentary will shed more light on the important issue, and even if you're not well-versed on the ins and outs of English football, you're sure to glean meaningful tips on mental wellness from it.

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