Neil Lennon has revealed he battled a bout of depression while he was steering Hibs to the Championship title this season.

The former Celtic captain and manager has previously spoken out about his struggles with mental health issues during his playing days in a bid to help end the stigma surrounding the issue.

And the 45-year-old has again opened up on the personal issues he has faced, this time while trying to manage Hibs' rise back to the top flight after a three-year absence.

Hibernian boss Neil Lennon has revealed he battled a bout of depression this season

The Easter Road boss confessed he found himself feeling low for around five weeks as the efforts required to guide the Edinburgh side to the title took their toll.

In the wake of last week's news that Everton winger Aaron Lennon had last week been detained under the Mental Health Act, with his club saying he was suffering from a stress-related illness, the Hibs coach urged others dealing with depression to seek help.

Speaking to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, Lennon said: 'The job is difficult enough when you're feeling okay.

'But when you suffer from a bout of depression, everything is magnified. You feel ten times worse about things.

Lennon celebrates with the Ladbrokes Championship trophy after Saturday's game

'I did have an episode of it this season for about four or five weeks and the club were great about it. They were really supportive, as were my backroom staff.

'I got through it okay and came out the other side. When you come out the other side, it's a great feeling. There were a lot of people there for me, the LMA (League Managers Association) included. They were a great source of help.

'What you do is put a brave face on publicly — but inside you are feeling it.

'I totally understand why people don't want to talk about it but the more you talk about it to professional people, the easier it becomes to deal with.'