THE number of young people receiving counselling about their exam results rose by 20 per cent this year, according to new figures from Childline, the charity-run helpline.

Now a Dorset school governor is on a mission to improve well-being in schools around the county and is offering free school assemblies on what she calls, Positive Mindset.

For Jane Kilpatrick who is a trustee of Dorset Mind and runs Mindsculpt, a new hypnotherapy practice based in Westbourne, is passionate about improving young people’s mental well-being.

She explains: “In schools there is so much emphasis on physical education, but often mental well-being gets missed or overlooked. Training the mind is just as important as training our physical bodies and there should be no difference.

“I truly believe well-being needs to be at the heart of every school; embedded and owned by the entire school community. It needs to become part of their DNA.”

Last June she organised a major conference for schools across Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey to launch her Educational Performance Programme which is designed to help pupils manage academic stress by using relaxation and mind management methods.

Jane also says that prevention is the key to making a difference to young people’s lives and believes children should be educated from an early age about what she calls “a positive growth mindset”.

“It is well known that individuals who are pessimistic are more prone to depression, so it’s key that we instil resilience and a positive mind-set from early on.”

She adds: “We all need a little bit of stress in our lives and it is a natural by-product of biological processes. However chronic stress over prolonged periods that doesn’t let up just isn’t good for us. So by putting well-being strategies and programmes in place today to help both staff and pupils will not only make a world of difference to them here and now, but will become a positive life-skill going forward in their lives.”

Latest figures show there were 1,127 counselling sessions about exam results stress in 2015-16, up from 937 the previous year.

More than 50 per cent of teens will experience another depressive episode if there has been no intervention. Girls are five times more likely to get in touch than boys.

For a free school well-being audit, call 01202 751866 or email contact@mindsculpt.co.uk