With the recent cuts to mental health services and alarming studies showing UK being the highest in rates of self harm we feel that to protect our future generations it is vital that mental health is taught in schools.

> To identify symptoms and signs in self and others.

> To have a basic understanding how mental health can arise with some tips on how to prevent, such as relaxation exercises.

> To know where to go to find help and what help there is available, such as counselling and antidepressants.

Cancer awareness and sexual health awareness are taught across the UK, so why should mental health be any different?

Like cancer, we can remove some of the stigma attached to mental illness through understanding how it can arise and treatments.

By teaching children the signs, symptoms and treatment options, the figure of 1 in 4 people suffering from mental illness could potentially decrease and rates of suicide.

The Department of Health's stastical update on suicide for 2014 shows that there has been a small rise in the past 4 years, 4,513 suicides recorded in 2012 with an average of 12.4 for males and 3.7 for females per 100,000 (just to put that into perspective, the UK population was around 63 million people in 2012). Latest figures also show the peak difference, both in terms of number of suicides and rate, is in the 20-24 age group, where there are five male suicides for each female suicide. (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/278120/Suicide_update_Jan_2014_FINAL_revised.pdf)