NEW YORK — Prince Harry made a series of appearances this week to support World Mental Health Day, opening up about the state of men’s health and social media’s harmful impact on children.
Duchess Meghan joined Harry at Project Healthy Minds’ “World Mental Health Day” gala in Tribeca on Thursday, Oct. 9. The couple were all smiles as they walked the red carpet, holding hands and posing briefly for photos. Project Healthy Minds, a Millennial & Gen Z-driven mental health tech nonprofit dedicated to expanding mental health services, presented the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with the organization’s Humanitarians of the Year award.
Harry and Meghan were honored for their work with The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Network, a community of families advocating for a safer digital landscape.
“Knowledge is power, and community is strength,” Harry said at the gala. “Expanding the parents’ movement and supporting them throughout is how real change happens.”
Prince Harry makes rare U.S. appearances to talk mental health
During his New York visit, Harry also supported Movember, the global men’s nonprofit, on an Oct. 8 panel about their new research report, The Real Face of Men’s Health. The conversation focused on men’s wellbeing in America, particularly mental health among young men and how social media exacerbates issues of identity and loneliness. The Duke of Sussex, who has been open about his mental health struggles, mentioned how he even grew his beard to act as a shield of protection in his own life. He also spoke about what he sees when he talks to young men.
“The same struggles keep coming up, which tells me that the weight they carry isn’t uncommon,” he said. “The biggest barrier is the belief that no one will understand. Loneliness convinces you you’re the only one, which is rarely true.”
Harry acknowledged that there have been huge strides in eradicating the stigma of mental health issues, but “access to therapy is still a massive issue.”
The ‘male loneliness epidemic’ facing young men
Boys and men are feeling more isolated than ever in a crisis experts have labeled the “male loneliness epidemic.” However, some experts argue that the loneliness crisis is not specific to men – according to a January 2025 Pew survey, 16% of men say they’re lonely all or most of the time. But so do 15% of women. The difference? Women are more likely to reach out to family, friends or a mental health professional for support.
In a 2021 survey by the Survey Center on American Life, only 1 in 5 men said they received emotional support from a friend within the past week, compared with 4 in 10 women. Similarly, just 25% of men say they’ve said “I love you” to a friend recently, as opposed to 49% of women.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan accept Project Healthy Minds’ Humanitarians of the Year award
Carson Daly, host and producer of NBC’s “The Voice” and a cohost of the “Today” show, hosted the evening, kicking off the presentations by opening up about suffering in silence from generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks for “decades” before experiencing his first panic attack on live TV.
“In fact, I literally thought something was wrong with me. I thought my brain was broken,” he said. “Since then, I’ve learned something incredibly valuable. When you share your story, you give other people permission to share theirs.”
Harry and Meghan accepted their award at the end of the night to a standing ovation and gave a 10-minute acceptance speech, during which they discussed the impact of their work with parents around “social media’s devastating impact on children.”
“Our children, Archie and Lili, are 6 and 4 – luckily still too young for social media, but we know that day is coming,” Harry said. “Like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology’s benefits while safeguarding against its dangers. That hopeful intention of separation is rapidly becoming impossible.”
Harry condemned corporations and lobbyists who “spend tens of millions of dollars in suppressing the truth,” as well as “algorithms designed to maximize data collection at any cost.”
“We know that when parents come together, when communities unite, waves are made,” Meghan said. “We’ve seen it happen. We’re watching it grow. And with your support, we’ll continue building a safer digital world for all our children.”
Contributing: Wendy Naugle
link