Kate Middleton and Prince William mark World Mental Health Day at Harrow College

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Duke and Duchess have visited Harrow College in north west London today
Met with volunteers at mental health charity Mind who have battled issue
Couple carried out engagements in recent weeks to highlight mental health
William took part in anti-bullying workshop run by Diana Award charity and Kate visited Anna Freud Centre, which works with issue in young people

Published: 06:26 EST, 10 October 2015 | Updated: 23:20 EST, 10 October 2015

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have marked World Mental Health Day by meeting young people who have battled the issue.

They visited Harrow College in north west London to speak with volunteers at the charity Mind, and the anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, after having dealt with their own mental health problems.

It was their first joint engagement in support of mental health issues and coincides with World Mental Health Day today - a day when awareness is raised around the world about the issue.

See our full coverage of the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William

The Duchess beamed as she met with young people who have overcome mental health issues at an event in Harrow today

Kate pulls a face at her husband as she clutches a bouquet of flowers at the event hosted by charity Mind

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured during their visit to Harrow College in north west London today

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The Royals also joined students from Harrow College to take part in a Mindkit workshop which educates young people about emotional health and resilience.

The interactive session focused on the five ways to wellbeing and how it can be applied to help young people manage difficult times.

The couple first spoke with a group of young women, who had battled and overcome mental health problems, and shared their experiences.

William asked one volunteer: 'What made you get involved do this as a vocation, almost?' Nikki Mattocks, 18, replied: 'For me it is because, for years - I have experience of hearing voices - and I never really felt there was a positive role model out there.

'When I said that I was hearing voices, I was told that I must be a murderer. For me it is really important for people to know that we are just normal, average people.'

The Cambridges also heard from 21-year-old Jessica Kwamin who explained that she had overdosed in the classroom, and had subsequently been expelled.

She added: 'My parents are from Africa and in Africa it is such a taboo subject - mental health - because you can't see it, it isn't real, you should be a bit stronger than that.'

Kate asked her: 'Do you feel that if help had been there earlier, that you would have accessed it earlier? Or did it come to the pushing point?'

Miss Kwamin, from Gravesend in Kent, replied: 'I don't think the help would have come to me if I didn't come out and find it.'

Nosa Iyobhehe, 25, spoke of how she had battled with low confidence for years, and how working with others and helping them had also helped her.

Kate joined students from Harrow College to take part in a Mindkit workshop which educates young people about emotional health and resilience

Kate shakes hands with a group of young girls who were at the event to share their experiences with the couple

Prince William got stuck into the interactive session where he heard from a group of young people who had been affected by mental health problems

The Duchess heard from a mother's perspective how it feels for a child to be affected by mental health

Kate smiles as she hears from young women involved with the charity Mind and Time to Change campaign

The Royals heard a speech from Vithuja Balasingham who was diagnosed with depression when she was 12

Speaking to the Duchess, she said: 'I know Kate, that you did history and art. Where I am from in Africa, they don't accept art as something viable.

'But now I am accepting my strengths and pursuing a career in hair dressing.'

Wearing a black and white Tory Burch dress that she first wore in New Zealand last year, Kate replied: 'That's fantastic.'

Emma Peacock, 19, was eight when she was misdiagnosed with ADHD. She actually suffers from bi-polar, a diagnosis that didn't come until she was 16.

She said: 'I made the mistake of telling my friends first. That was not a good idea. Because they didn't understand, they stigmatised it and I was excluded.'

The Duchess asked Miss Peacock if she'd found it hard to tell her mother, Nadine, who was also at the event.

'Did you find it hard to tell your mother about it, not wanting to worry your mother? I always find you never want to worry your family about anything.'

Miss Peackock explained: 'I was so scared my family would worry, you always want to protect your family so I found it really hard.'

Her mother added: 'When your child is going through such difficulties and anxieties, and struggling with mental health, it is heartbreaking. A lot of her friends wouldn't talk about it because it was taboo.'

At the end of the reception, Kate drew laughter from those gathered, as she jokingly inquired whether William wanted to accept the bouquet she had been presented with

The Duchess was glowing as she accepted the flowers, standing close to the Duke who was also at the event

Kate sweeps her hair behind one ear (left) as she gets stuck into a brainstorming session with the youngsters

The mother-of-two also appeared concerned and visibly moved during the session as she spoke about the hardships suffered by the young people

The Duchess smiles as 19-year-old Vithuja Balasingham, a Time to Change volunteer, gave a speech about her struggles

Kate was interested in looking at work by the volunteers at Harrow College today, who had made presentations

Following the Mindkit session, Kate and William took part in a relatively informal reception talking to groups of people involved with the work of Mind

William addressed the group, saying: 'I could sit here and talk to you for hours. Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us'

The Duchess asked the group whether schools are willing to listen and understand the concept of young people struggling with mental health.

William then shook his head as he listened to Miss Peacock reply: 'When I got ill, I had to go into hospital.

'My school wouldn't let me back in because they were worried about contagion, and my grades not being good enough. They didn't want to be the school who had "the issues".

At the end of the session, William addressed the group, saying: 'I could sit here and talk to you for hours. Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us.

'You are being incredibly brave doing this. I know it's not easy for you re-living your experiences again and again.

'If we can get more young people talking, and coming through with their experiences, then we can really get mental health to the fore, which is where it should be and what we need to do.'

Kate told the group: 'I keep thinking about what else we can do and how we can raise awareness. Keep the ideas coming. We think it's so important, so really well done for being ambassadors. Talking about mental health is so important.'

Miss Kwamin said after the session: 'They are so high profile, you feel that whatever they say, people will listen to. If they can get people talking about mental health, it will 100 per cent help with the issues.'

The Cambridges also took some time to sit in on brainstorming sessions involving people with a history of mental health issues talking to others about their experiences.

Unable to contain her excitement 17-year-old Ariana Madlani-Kotecha told Kate: 'My mum is a really big fan of yours,' and Kate told her to 'say hi for me'.

The Duchess's presence in the room was very exciting for many who beamed from ear to ear as she asked about how they became involved with Mind and the Time To Change anti-stigma campaign.

William gave an enthusiastic hand shake to a young woman taking part in the interactive workshop in Harrow today

The Duke beamed as he got involved in the Mindkit training session with a group of young men and women

William refused to have any cake at the event, joking that he 'wasn't allowed' and would spill it down their tops

The pair were happy to hear from a group of young women affected by mental health issues and asked several questions to find out more

The Cambridges also took some time to sit in on brainstorming sessions involving people with a history of mental health issues talking to others about their experiences

Kate told the young people: 'We think it's so important, so really well done for being ambassadors. Talking about mental health is so important'

The Duchess's presence in the room was very exciting for many who beamed from ear to ear as she asked about how they became involved with Mind and the Time To Change anti-stigma campaign

In the middle of explaining how the sessions worked, student Fouzia Mohammed said: 'Oh my God, it's so nice to meet you. It is amazing to meet you.'

Kate shook her hand and replied: 'It is amazing meeting you, what you are doing is amazing. You guys are going all the hard work.'

Following the Mindkit session, Kate and William took part in a relatively informal reception talking to groups of people involved with the work of Mind.

Refusing to take any cake, William joked: 'I am not allowed cakes. Also it is very difficult to talk to people when I am eating cakes. I would cover all your tops with chocolate. It is not very good. '

Addressing another group of volunteers, William spoke of the need for mental health issues to be addressed about more openly.

He said: 'Without hearing from people it is very difficult to come up with a plan. You are very brave and what you are doing is fantastic.'

The visit ended with the couple listening to a speech by Vithuja Balasingham, 19, a Time to Change volunteer.

She was first diagnosed with depression aged 12 and Kate looked visibly moved listening to her speak.

Miss Balasingham said: 'Since then I've been sectioned and hospitalised. I've hit the worst of the worst where life no longer felt a viable option.

'At home, my family didn't understand, I had a perfect life so why was I so miserable. I've had peers calling me an attention seeker, messages on formspring telling me to kill myself, nurses referring to me as the sectioned girl.

'When I first found out about time to change I was shy about getting involved given the stigma and discrimination I had faced.

'I am now a young involvement worker, youth panellist and a champion for Time To change...I'm here today to celebrate how far we've come but to remind people that it is okay to talk without being afraid or ashamed.'

Prince William and the Duchess were there to meet with young people who have been affected by mental health issues

The Duchess, left and right, shakes hands with volunteers at Mind. She has been carrying out engagements recently to highlight awareness of mental health

Prince William wore a blue shirt and beige trousers (left) while Kate wore a black and white Tory Burch dress (right)

At the end of the reception, Kate drew laughter from those gathered, as she jokingly inquired whether William wanted to accept the bouquet she had been presented with.

Work to build awareness and understanding of mental health problems is a major priority for both The Duke and Duchess.

William and Kate have carried out engagements in recent weeks which have shone a light on the causes and consequences of psychological issues.

The Duke took part in an anti-bullying workshop run by the Diana Award charity, while the Duchess visited the Anna Freud Centre, a leading organisation working in the field of children and young people with mental health issues.

Mental health charity Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

Every year, Mind in Harrow helps over 7,000 local people with assistance from over 100 volunteers.

Paul Farmer, the charity's chief executive officer, said: 'By putting a spotlight on mental health, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are helping us to send an important and urgent message to the world that it is time to change our attitudes about mental health problems.

'Today's event marks a coming of age for mental health - it is coming out of the shadows and now beginning to receive the attention it truly deserves.

'For too long mental health has been something that families did not speak about, that schools did not know how to address and workplaces would ignore.

'This silence or ignorance leaves people living with mental health problems alone, afraid and without the help and support that they need. We cannot let this continue.'

He described the charity's young volunteers as doing a 'sterling job' across the capital and hopes their work will ensure the next generation have a more positive attitude to mental health.

Kate pictured arriving in the black and white Tory Burch dress (left) and (right) with her husband Prince William

They joined volunteers and young people at mental health charity Mind to mark World Mental Health Day today

Kate smiles at her husband while he speaks to volunteers at Harrow College today as part of their engagement to mark World Mental Health day

Prince William, pictured getting out of a car left and right. He has also been involved in highlighting mental health and recently took part in an anti-bullying workshop run by the Diana Award charity