Gary Lightbody has lent his support to the Now We’re Talking campaign on mental health.

The Snow Patrol lead singer has recorded a video message emphasising the importance of developing a greater awareness in relation to mental health issues.

A year ago, Gary wrote very powerfully – and movingly –about his own battle with depression, in the first Now We’re Talking supplement, entitled 100 Voices on Mental Health – which was also published as part of he Hot Press Mental Health Special Issue.

“The thing that pulled me from the darkness was talking about it,” Gary wrote. “With close friends and then a therapist. Talking about the things that I have always been so afraid of saying out loud for fear of being rejected by my friends and family. I told them what had plagued my mind for years, and no one ran for the hills.”

The Now We’re Talking campaign, a partnership between Hot Press, Pieta House and Lyons Tea, first and foremost encourages people who are experiencing difficulties to talk about them, in just the way that Gary Lightbody described. The over-arching aim is to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues and ultimately to assist Pieta House in their vital work. Pieta House is Ireland’s leading suicide and self-harm prevention charity, with services in place across Ireland.

In the video message, specially recorded over the past few days by Gary, he speaks again. "I had depression from when I was a teenager," he says, "and it was only in the last few years - in my late 30s - that I started talking about it. And it changed everything, it really did. My life got immeasurably better. I know how hard it is to talk about your personal stuff with people, it's almost impossible sometimes, and it feels like you're the only person going through it. But you're not."

You can watch Gary Lightbody's full message here:

Now We’re Talking – Live, an evening of music and discussion on the theme of mental health takes place in Smock Alley Theatre tomorrow night, Thursday October 10, which is World Mental Health Day. Among those performing on the night will be Delorentos, Saint Sister, Ham Sandwich, spoken word artist Stephen James Smyth and Emma Quinn – the winner of last year’s Now We’re Talking competition, run by the campaign, in association with BIMM in Dublin.

There will also be discussion panels, with Hot Press deputy editor Stuart Clark as moderator. For tickets to the event, go here.

• The Hot Press Mental Health Issue 2019, with Sam Fender on the cover, can be purchased below: