Problems with friends or family, worry about school or exams and normal everyday stress can make you over-sensitive, irritable, lazy, withdrawn or rebellious.

These feelings are usually normal and will pass, but if they are persistent they can be the symptoms of a mental health problem.

People with a potential mental health problem might:

• withdraw from friends, family, school, sports or other things that they would usually enjoy;
• exhibit a significant change in mood or have inappropriate responses to certain situations;
• experience disturbed sleep, either not getting enough sleep or sleeping too much;
• have disturbed eating patterns, either eating less than normal or overeating;
• have a preoccupation and fixation on a particular issue;
• demonstrate a lack of care for personal appearance or personal responsibilities;
• show a drop in school, college or university performance;
• do things that don’t make sense to others, or they may hear or see things that no-one else can hear or see.

Some individuals can be at greater risk of experiencing a mental health problem. Reasons can include:

• an unhappy family or home life;
• unstable relationships with friends or family;
• a family or personal history of mental health problems;
• drug or alcohol misuse;
• experience of abuse - physical, emotional or sexual;
• disability or long-term pain;
• isolation from school or community groups;
• low self-esteem.

If you think that someone you know might be having some mental health problems then look out for some of the signs and symptoms and talk to them about it. Most young people will turn to a friend for support during tough times, so being there for your friends can really help.

Remember it is important to look after your own mental health, not take on more than you feel comfortable with and talk to someone about your concerns. You are not responsible for anyone else but you can offer support.

There are plenty of people out there that you can suggest your friend talks to, such as a school counsellor (most universities and colleges also have them), your local GP, services in your local community, phone helplines or online services. Have a chat about how you are feeling.

It can be a huge worry if someone tells you that they have thoughts of suicide. Sometimes they don’t want you to tell anyone else, but you must explain to them that you can’t keep this to yourself and that they need help. If they didn’t want to be helped, they wouldn’t have told you.