MORE people have sought help since the launch of The Mail's 'Time to Talk' campaign.

Mind in Furness, a leading mental health charity has found an increase in people seeking help since the launch of the campaign on March 15.

The Mail has released stories daily on the need for more people to seek help after it was revealed that six people were suspected of taking their own lives since boxing day.

From Barrow's mayor Bill McEwan who spoke openly about the loss of his son to Mark Bell who opened up after he tried twice to take his own life - many have come forward in a bid to get more people to speak out.

Karen Dobson, chief officer at Mind in Furness recognised that more people have come forward seeking their services since the launch of the campaign and other support groups have also noticed an increase.

Mrs Dobson said: "The Mail's campaign has helped to raise awareness both from its print and social media content –I have seen lots of people commenting positively on the social media posts and sharing them widely which is great and increases coverage of the messages.

"The articles have contained real stories from local people that people can relate to. People feel inspired by the bravery of those willing to speak out about such emotive and personal subjects and feel encouraged to share their own stories or seek help."

It was one of the main aims of the campaign to encourage more people to speak out and to shed the light on the fact some men are keeping their problems bottled up leading to tragic consequences.

Mrs Dobson also mentioned how the positivity around an increase in people seeking help.

"I think it is really positive that people feel empowered and able to speak up- hopefully it means people can feel able to ask for help before things get to crisis point," she said.

"If we can support an environment that means people can talk openly about their mental health, managing it becomes easier."

If you would like to seek support from Mind in Furness call: 01229 827094.