The Duchess of Sussex is the latest member of the Royal Family to address mental health issues as she spoke about the pressures of social media.
Meghan Markle was speaking to people who offer mental health support in New Zealand during a visit with her husband Prince Harry.
The Royal couple were at Maranui Cafe on the Wellington coast on the last leg of their 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.
The Duchess spoke to staff and volunteers from a number of initiatives including Live For Tomorrow, an organisation focused on reaching young people with messages of hope and positive change.
“Young people find it so difficult,” said Meghan, whose comments come after Prince Harry opened up about his mental health issues during a speech in New South Wales, Australia earlier in the tour.
“You see photos on social media and you don’t know whether she’s born with it or maybe it’s a filter.
“Your judgement of your sense of self-worth becomes really skewed when it’s all based on likes.”
BACP member Chloe Goddard Mcloughlin, of Ranmoor Therapy, talked about the pressures of social media and gave tips on how to reduce the impact in an article to coincide with World Mental Health Day.
She said: “There’s no doubt that social media connects people often instantly in a way that was previously unimaginable for those who grew up in a pre-internet world.
“There needs to be a balance and appropriate measures put into place to limit the amount of time spent online, so that no-one feels deprived.”
If you want to seek advice or help about social media and mental health you can search our directory to find a BACP counsellor.
Photo credit: Nottingham Police