DEMAND for mental health services in Glasgow’s schools is on the rise, according to a leading charity.

Lifelink say pupils across the city are being given counselling for stress, anxiety and self-identity issues.

The organisation, contracted by Glasgow City Council to provide mental health services in schools, claims kids are struggling to cope with exam and social media pressures.

A report into youth health amenities in the city has revealed that 1050 pupils received counselling from Lifelink specialists between April 2016 and March last year.

And Laura Junor, Communications Officer at Lifelink, said: “We have seen an increase in demand for our services from the schools we operate within in the past year.

“There are so many different factors that affect young people on a daily basis from feeling the pressures of fitting in with their peers to dealing with exam stress. Social media obviously also plays a part with many young people feeling overwhelmed by the pressures that come with it.

“The immediacy and reach of social media is a pressure that previous generations did not face.

“We see a range of issues from low mood, anxiety, stress and anger to self-esteem and self-identity issues. We also regularly see young people with family issues or who have experienced bullying.”

Lifelink works with 26 schools in the north east, north west and southside of Glasgow.

Schools including Notre Dame, Knightswood Secondary School, Bannerman High School and Castlemilk High School are all able to access the organisation’s services.

The charity gives young people what it describes as a “safe space” to speak about their issues.

Specialist counsellors then help identify what is bothering pupils before working through challenges and helping them learn coping strategies.

A council spokeswoman said: “Glasgow has for a long time been committed to early intervention and the use of nurture in our school to target the individual needs of a child and young person and we work with a range of partners to help support some of our most vulnerable pupils.

“Children and young people will need counselling for a variety of reasons and we will continue to offer any support we can to help alleviate any school and home pressures.”

Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (GCHSCP) revealed that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) demand had remained steady since 2015.

Last year the service saw an average of 356 accepted referrals per month for moderate to severe mental health problems across the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

A spokesman for the GCHSCP said: “Considerable work has been undertaken in the last five years across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to advance a strategic approach to the promotion of children and young people’s mental health.

“As part of their commitment to supporting children and young people’s mental health, Glasgow HSCP commission services to provide mental health and wellbeing support to young people.

“This service is delivered by Lifelink Youth who work with young people aged from 11 to 18. The young people can access the service if they feel they have some challenges in their lives such as low mood, family and relationship issues, self-confidence issues or anxiety.”