By Clare McNeill

An initiative to help teens with their mental health has been expanded across Glasgow.

The Blues Programme runs workshops in secondary schools with the aim of reducing adolescent anxiety and depression, and teaches preventative techniques too.

It's been trialling in two schools in the city since October, and will expand to six schools this year.

The six-week course, funded by the Royal Mail, involves weekly one-hour group sessions at school with home practice assignments.

Weekly activity sessions build group rapport, cognitive restructuring techniques, followed by a range of coping strategies.

It comes as a study released by Action for Children, based on more than 5000 questionnaires completed by secondary school pupils across the UK, found that a third of 15 to 18-year-olds are suffering from mental health and emotional wellbeing issues.

Paul Carberry, Action for Children director for Scotland, said: "With figures showing 75 per cent of adults with lifelong mental health issues first experience symptoms by the age of 18, it is early intervention programmes like the 'Blues Programme' which are key to tackling these types of issues."