Pupils and teachers across the country are being urged to wear an item of clothing inside out for a whole day next month to raise awareness about mental health.

The idea of Inside Out Day, on 6 February, is to make people stop and consider that others may look OK on the outside despite feeling distressed.

The campaign was started by mother-of-four Jo Novick, whose sister died by suicide despite “looking stunning on the outside”.

Ms Novick originally started the idea at her children’s school, but has since found growing support at other schools and on social media.

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She said: “I lost my sister four years ago to suicide. Although she had bipolar [disorder], we had no idea how she had been feeling. She looked stunning on the outside but inside she was suffering badly.

“The aim of Inside Out Day is to remind everyone to always be kind and think of others as nobody knows how another person may be feeling.”

Protecting pupil mental health

She worries that social media is also a cause of anxiety among pupils, and can disguise reality by making everyone else look like “they’re happy and leading wonderful lives, even when they’re not”.

She said: “Children are always looking to see how many ‘likes’ they get or they’re seeing photos of their friends having a good time. I just want to let children know it’s OK not to be OK and that no one is perfect even though they may look it.”

Inside Out Day will take place during Children’s Mental Health Week. Schools taking part are being invited to make an optional donation to the cause.

For more information, visit the campaign’s Facebook page here.