Meghan Markle risks being branded "self-centred" over her mental health comments, a PR expert has warned - with the expert describing the admission as a "double-edged sword".
The Duchess of Sussex opened up on her struggles during her latest sit down televised interview.
After months of silence, Meghan joined Prince Harry for a conversation US nextwroth CBS to announce their latest project.
The pair explained that they were launching The Parents' Network.
The Sussexes' Archewell website describes as a "group of parents who have first-hand knowledge of the pain and destruction caused by social media use".
The project states its "mission is to prevent anyone else from suffering the way we have".
Meghan Markle opened up on her mental health in an interview with CBSCBSMeghan used the CBS interview to open up on her own mental health struggles and her concerns about the impact social media could have on her own children.
But Renae Smith, founder and director of PR agency The Atticism, has warned the duchess' personal comments risk backfiring.
"Meghan bringing up her mental health struggles can be seen as a double-edged sword from a PR perspective," Smith told the Daily Express.
"She likely believes that sharing her personal experiences will make her more relatable and help people resonate with the cause of The Parents Network, particularly in the context of child safety and mental health.
Meghan claimed she 'hasn’t scraped the surface' of her time in the Royal Family
CBS
Meghan first opened up on her mental health when she was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2021
Harpo Productions"Her openness about her struggles is presumably intended to lend authenticity and urgency to the project, showing that she has a personal stake in the issue.
"However, the ongoing tension with the Royal Family and previous criticism of her claims seems to have overshadowed the intended message.
"While it's understandable that her mental health issues are significant to her (our own mental health issues always feel like the biggest things in our lives), focusing on her personal story in the way it has been done detracts from the project's objectives and opens her up to seeming self-centred."
In last weekend's interview Meghan said that she had "only scratched the surface" of her mental health struggles in previous interviews but hoped that "being open" would help "save others" who are suffering.
The duchess first caused headlines about her mental health during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
At the time she said that she had suicidal thoughts while pregnant with Prince Archie in 2019.
"I just didn't want to be alive anymore," she explained.
"That was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought."
Anyone who is in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call the Samaritans anonymously for free from a UK phone on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.