Organisers of a new group therapy service that aims to tackle depression have said they are preparing themselves for a rush of new referrals this month.
The Steps service, which is based in Glasgow, offers evening classes to people in the city who are suffering from extreme stress and depression.
The group aims to remove the stigma from seeking help for such problems by offering an alternative to individual therapy, and the six-week courses are attracting up to 100 patients a time.
And Steps team leader Dr Jim White said he expects interest in the service to jump in January, now the Christmas period is over.
He said that this is a time of year when many more people are affected by mental health problems, and as a result there tend to be more referrals from GPs.
One in five people in Scotland is estimated to be currently suffering from a mental health problem, and over 40% of people will have such a problem at some point in their life.
Each course consists of six sessions, with each broadly looking at one skill to deal with stress.
These include controlling your body; ways to think your way out of panic; controlling your sleep; and ways of boosting self-confidence.
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