Suicide rates for UK men are a ‘national catastrophe’, says Prince William | Prince William

Prince William called the prevalence of male suicide in the United Kingdom a “national catastrophe” during a radio appearance during which he spoke about his approaches to dealing with difficult emotions.

William said in a special episode of Radio 1’s Life Hacks that “we need more male role models” to speak publicly about their mental health, to help other men do the same and for open discussions to be “second nature to all of us”.

During the panel discussion on male suicide with host Greg James, which airs Wednesday at 8 p.m., William reflected on his own feelings, saying, “I take a lot of time trying to understand my emotions and why I feel like that, and I feel like that’s a really important process to do every once in a while, to check in with yourself and understand why you feel like that.”

“Sometimes there’s an obvious explanation, sometimes there’s not. I think the idea that the mental health crisis is temporary [is important] – you may experience a moment of serious mental health crisis, but it will pass.

According to the Office for National Statistics, suicide was the leading cause of death among young people aged 20 to 34 in England and Wales in 2024.

Mental health and suicide are topics William has spoken about frequently, and his Royal Foundation is contributing £1 million to the development of a national suicide prevention network.

He encouraged listeners to “learn to love and understand each other” and praised the support of mental health charities as “this little stepping stone” to help people through difficult times.

He added: “And if we talk about it more and educate people more, then hopefully the idea of ​​suicide will continue to be pushed further and further away. Because you know tomorrow you might wake up and you might feel very different.”

When asked if his children talk openly about their feelings, he joked, “Sometimes too much. I get all the details, which I love; it’s amazing.”

The panel also included rapper Professor Green, real name Stephen Manderson. He has campaigned on mental health for years and previously spoke in a BBC documentary, Suicide and Me, about losing his father to suicide.

The rapper said he wanted to remind people “that these conversations are important and it’s okay to have them.”

“I have a little boy and I hate to imagine him growing up in a world where he doesn’t have a circle of friends that he knows he can turn to, or services that he knows he can access in times of need, at a time when he might not have me,” he said.

Professor Green, who supports suicide prevention charity Calm, said he felt it was “incredibly important” to have Prince William’s support, “not least because of the openness with which he comes forward, which I don’t think people would necessarily expect”.

“But he obviously lived his own life of suffering and experiences and things that he saw with his own eyes,” he said. “And I just think it allows us to shine a light on something that people would otherwise avoid.”