Roman Kemp, a 30-year-old presenter, openly disclosed his ongoing battle with depression and the recent development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 2021. In a candid interview, he shared how his mental health has been on a rollercoaster ride, causing discomfort, particularly in large social gatherings.
Kemp revealed to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, "I fluctuate a lot. Within the last year, I've developed PTSD, which can be triggered from my phone going off, or seeing certain names. I don't like being around people, or big crowds. You'll never see a picture of me out and about, drink in hand. That's not really me."
As the son of renowned musicians Martin Kemp and Shirlie Holliman, Kemp expressed his concern about not fitting in with his family and feeling like he brings down the mood when they are together. He opened up about this, saying, "I struggle to enjoy life as much as other people. My sister Harley is the happiest person you will ever meet. I said to my mum not too long ago that I get sad because I feel like I don't fit in with this family. She was in tears. For a mum, it's the worst thing to hear. But I worry that when I visit them, I bring the mood down."
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Roman Kemp strongly believes that nearly everyone will grapple with mental health issues at some point in their lives. To address this pressing concern, he joined forces with Young Minds to advocate for better mental health support in Parliament, though the response has been disappointing.
He emphasized, "The people in power don't understand the level of crisis within this country. Anyone over the age of 16 is on their own. That's why my focus is on early intervention. I genuinely believe everyone will suffer from some form of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress. It's about trying to prepare them for it. By placing mental health support teams within schools. Prevention is better than cure. That's why I'm shocked by the focus always being on the aftermath. If you try to build a society that can deal with it, those waiting lists will be far shorter. Give people the power to sort themselves out before they reach that point. For a lot of people, it's not a problem until it happens to their child. But when it came to [the lack of response from] Parliament, I was shocked. It was a tipping point for me."
Despite having submitted a letter to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, Kemp has yet to receive a response. However, he did receive a reply from Maria Caulfield, the Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health, who pledged to increase the number of UK schools with access to a mental health team from the current target of 36 percent to 50 percent.
Kemp reflected on this response, saying, "Which is not enough. If you have two kids in front of you, how do you decide which one gets the treatment?" His impassioned plea for greater mental health support in schools remains an ongoing endeavor, aimed at ensuring that young individuals receive the help they need before they reach a crisis point.
