A new platform to help people across the south west look after their mental health and improve their wellbeing has launched.

Public Health England, in partnership with the NHS, has launched the Every Mind Matters campaign to help people who are struggling with challenges to their mental health.

A survey shows 84 per cent of people in the south west have experienced early signs of poor mental health including feeling anxious, stressed, having low mood or trouble sleeping in the last year. 22 per cent of people in the region who experienced these signs waited at least six months before taking steps to manage their mental health, with 77 per cent of those who waited this long wishing they had acted sooner.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have supported Every Mind Matters by voicing a special film written by Richard Curtis and directed by Rankin.

Broadcast on television channels on Monday (7), the film featured celebrities including Gillian Anderson, Davina McCall, Glenn Close, Freddie Flintoff, Professor Green and Nadiya Hussain.

Every Mind Matters shows people the simple steps they can take to be better prepared for life’s ups and downs.

The new platform, which has been endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RGCP), will enable people to create a personalised action plan recommending a set of self-care actions to deal with stress, boost mood, improve sleep and feel in control.

The launch follows eighteen months of planning and local and regional piloting, developed with clinical and academic experts, national mental health charities and input from people with experience of poor mental health.

Clinically-assured by the NHS, Every Mind Matters is evidence-based and it shows people how to build simple changes into their daily lives.

The initiative is backed by a coalition of mental health charities and champions, including Mind, Heads Together and the Samaritans.

Martin White, health and wellbeing programme manager for mental health at Public Health England South West said: "Our health is affected by our circumstances, including having a job, friends and a roof over our heads.

"Anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping can affect everyone. Every Mind Matters aims to help people to better handle life’s ups and downs.”

Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: "Most people know how important it is to look after their physical health and more and more people are understanding the need to look after their mental health as well, but lots of us don’t know where to start.

"That’s why Mind has been helping develop Every Mind Matters, to empower people with the tools they need to deal with everyday causes of stress, anxiety, low mood and trouble sleeping. Taking proactive steps...can help prevent these issues developing into more serious mental health problems further down the line."