Giving Compass' Take:

• Hati Sparey-South credits her high school teacher for saving her life when she was suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. Because her teacher reached out to her and asked what was wrong, Hati was able to speak to someone about her issues and get help.

• How can teachers provide more support for their students suffering from mental illness like depression?

• Read about how removing the mental health stigma amoung youth could help them even more.

By 16 Hati Sparey-South had already tried to kill herself. And she would have tried again and maybe succeeded if it hadn't been for a teacher who noticed how unhappy she looked. Hati says she owes her teacher her life. And now, aged 26 and a trainee teacher herself, she is determined to help today's pupils.

With her teacher's support, Hati got help.

She ended up spending a lot of time in the design-tech classroom, both during and after school. Her struggles continued, both emotional and academic, but she persevered, got GCSEs and then A-levels.

The World Health Organization says one in five adolescents may have a mental health problem in any given year. Other research suggests half of mental health problems are established by the age of 14 and 75% by the age of 24.

Last year in the UK a government funded study of 10,000 young people found a quarter of the girls and nearly one in 10 boys showed signs of depression by 14, with poorer teenagers worst affected.

Read the full article about mental health awareness by Judith Burns at BBC