PUBLIC awareness and sensitivity about mental health issues has improved greatly in recent years, however, there is undoubtedly much more work to do.

So many of us will be affected by mental health issues, this may be individually or family members.

These days most people realise that looking after your health is not just about eating right and exercising – although those are important for good mental health too.

This increased awareness means that, thankfully, more people are recognising and seeking help and treatment for mental illness when it occurs.

Here in Scotland this has been encouraged by co-ordinated efforts between the NHS, mental health charities like SAMH and social services to reduce stigma and educate about common feelings and symptoms relating to mental illness.

To help support and improve these services the Scottish Government announced last week that an additional £54 million will be made available this year, bringing spending on mental health services for 2015-16 to £150 million.

This will allow us to build on the progress made through the Government’s 2012-2015 Mental Health Strategy, which led to a number of positive changes in Scotland, including an increase of nearly 30% in the number of clinical staff working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services since 2009.

We can all play our part in making the world a friendlier place to those with mental health problems – and contribute to prevention.

One way our society has improved recently is the way in which many families, workplaces and friendship circles encourage openness, which can be so important to maintaining good mental health.

Movement in this direction is important for men, among who suicide rates are higher, despite the fact that prevalence of mental illness is generally lower than for women.

This is often attributed to society’s false but perceived correlation between masculinity and stoicism and scorn for emotional discussions, leading to a refusal to seek advice or treatment.

“Mindfulness” and “self-care” might seem to be buzzwords which have begun flying around out of nowhere, but really what these important messages seem to boil down to is this: taking care to frequently reflect on your own feelings and state of mind, and knowing when it’s time to change patterns, slow down and/or seek help.

The Glasgow Association for Mental Health is a great Glasgow charity which takes referrals and operates three service centres across the city – North East, North West and South.

They continue to offer a fantastic service despite facing a ludicrous reduction of 40% to their funding from Glasgow City Council last year.

In workplaces handling issues which may be emotionally exhausting employers can help by making training and advice on mental wellbeing, and for employees to look out for colleagues displaying signs of stress or anxiety.

All of us will know someone who has suffered from mental illness – whether long term, recurring or short-term, from anxiety to depression to schizophrenia.

Some of you may have suffered from mental health problems personally.

The important thing is that you pay attention to warning signs such as developing compulsive behaviours, depressive feelings, sleeping too much or feeling overwhelmed, and seek advice from your GP or local mental health services.

However, down you feel know that you're not alone and there's always someone to talk to.