Sarah, Duchess of York has shared a major update with her followers on social media as she spoke about the awareness of mental health. As a vocal advocate for a number of causes, the Duchess revealed that she recently spent time in a clinic known for its care for those facing complex mental health and addiction challenges.

In a message, she wrote: “Mental health touches us all – it has no boundaries. We need to promote open conversations about mental health and how we can improve access to mental healthcare across society.

“I recently spent time at @paracelsusrecovery in Zurich, a clinic known for its discreet, bespoke care for those facing complex mental health and addiction challenges, to learn more.”

Continuing in her caption, the Duchess added: “What I found was not only a centre of clinical excellence, but a place of deep humanity. Conversations with Dr Thilo Beck and @jangerberofficial, the clinic’s founder, were illuminating.

“Jan’s mission is one I deeply respect and share: to bring mental health out of the shadows and into open, compassionate conversation. Dr Beck has decades of experience and a role advising governments on health policy, and is determined to make his expertise available to all, doing extraordinary work with homeless people suffering from mental health and addiction problems.

“If you or someone you know is struggling, I encourage you to seek help. You are not alone, and there is no shame in taking the steps towards healing.”

Over the years, the Duchess has been very open about the impact that press coverage during the time she was married to Prince Andrew.

Writing in the Telegraph, the Duchess describes “the profound scars” of her childhood that “led to feelings of unworthiness [that] contributed to an unhealthy attitude to food that often threatened to spiral into a full-scale eating disorder”.

Sarah, who has been diagnosed with both breast and skin cancer in recent years also explained how she was impacted by “tabloid headlines of the 1980s and 1990s” and more recent “comments on social media (which I regard as a cesspit)”.