Prince Harry Applauded New Mental Health Training in the British Military

• Prince Harry praised a new mental health initiative (opens in new tab) in the British military, which will see all military personnel receive mandatory "mental fitness" training.
• Harry called the move "an amazing step forward for the British military."
• The Duke of Sussex spent 10 years in the British Army.

Prince Harry has applauded a new mental health initiative in the British military, calling the introduction of compulsory "mental fitness" training for all personnel an "amazing step forward." British minister for defence people and veterans Johnny Mercer announced earlier this week that mandatory training would begin on April 1, 2021, as the Evening Standard  (opens in new tab)reports (opens in new tab). 

The Duke of Sussex, a 10-year veteran of the British Army, said in a statement, "There should be no difference between how we view our physical fitness and mental fitness and training both will help our service men and women excel, as well as being best prepared for what they may face, in any situation."

Harry previously spearheaded military mental health initiative HeadFIT (opens in new tab), launched in April this year, which provides online self-help tools for members of the armed forces. Speaking about the military's new mandatory training, he said, "Over the years it has been an honour to work alongside the service chiefs and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on projects such as HeadFIT, and I am delighted to see such a significant step to protect and strengthen the potential and resilience of our military."

"Thanks especially to Johnny Mercer and to the teams of people who work tirelessly to protect and support our troops and their families' health and wellbeing," Harry continued. "Mental fitness will become a daily practice adopted by all of us as a means to unlock potential in every aspect of our lives."

Mercer said in a statement, "While some personnel already have a good experience, because they have good leaders who take this area seriously, for me the important thing is to equalise the experience for all."