A new public petition has been launched which hopes to make mental education compulsory in schools across the UK – and it has already attracted more than 76,000 signatures.

If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures by 3 May 2017, it will need to be considered for debate in Parliament, according to reports.

The news comes after research found that approximately one in ten under-16s experience a diagnosable mental health disorder in their younger years, yet mental health education still does not form a part of the national curriculum.

According a study carried out by Child and Adolescent Mental Health foundation Young Minds, more than half of all adults who are living with mental health problems today were first diagnosed in childhood.

Furthermore, their research found that the number of young people admitted to hospital due to self-harm has swollen by almost 70 per cent in the last ten years.

Adam Shaw, co-founder of the Shaw Mind Foundation, which kick-started the campaign to introduce mental health education in schools, said: “Schooling focuses on physical and academic education from a young age, yet virtually neglects mental wellbeing.

“By educating young people about mental health and wellbeing in school, we can increase resilience and coping skills, boost awareness of mental health difficulties, and encourage open, honest discussions about mental health.

“This would increase early diagnosis and access to help for young people suffering from mental health problems which will prevent some conditions becoming chronic and severe,” he said.

A Government spokesperson has said: “We want mental health to be an everyday concern in all institutions. Schools should decide how to teach pupils about mental health developing their own curriculum to reflect the needs of their pupils”.