Children in Scotland are increasingly suffering mental health problems caused by exams, peer pressure and body image, research has found.

Figures from the Mental Health Foundation Scotland revealed a quarter of young people felt stressed by academic pressure.

Social anxiety affected almost one in three children (31%), while 58% of youngsters said a fear of making mistakes has led them to feel overwhelmed.

More than half (53%) said their body image has led them to feel unable to cope.

The charity is now warning Scotland could face a child mental health crisis unless emotional wellbeing is taken as seriously as reading and writing in the curriculum.

Launching its new campaign, "Make it Count", the Mental Health Foundation Scotland has warned that mental health can no longer be treated as "extra-curricular".

According to the charity, 8000 children in Scotland with severe mental health problems were waiting to see a specialist at the end of June 2018 and 2116 of them had been waiting for more than 18 weeks.

The Scottish Government has announced more school-based counsellors and training for teachers, but the Mental Health Foundation warned these measures will not solve the problem and called for a new focus on prevention.

Toni Giugliano, the charity's policy manager, said: "Our research shows that academic pressure is exacerbating many young people's mental health. The Scottish Government's focus on raising attainment in reading and writing must not be at the expense of young people's mental health.

"It's unacceptable that teachers are still not trained in mental health in Scotland. School staff desperately want the training to explore the 'real life issues' that create distress, be it body image, relationship worries, exam stress or how to handle difficult conversations on social media.

"Mental ill health is on the rise and schools must be equipped to respond and prevent distress by helping young people build resilience and cope with difficult situations. Unless we do that we'll continue to see more children in crisis."

If you need help, The Samaritans offer emotional support 24 hours a day in full confidence. Call free on 116 123