A school girl who missed a large chunk of her upper sixth education due to depression has received excellent A-level results.
Emma Norris was in her final year at Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School in Belfast when she came out of school for six weeks to help recover from depression.
On Thursday she learned she had achieved an A* and two A grades. She hopes it is enough to undertake a teacher education degree at St Mary's University College.
Depression affects 350 million people globally according to the mental health charity Aware.
Emma works closely with Aware and is hoping that her story will encourage other people, particularly young people to come forward and seek the help they need to recover.
"A-levels aren't the easiest of exams at the best of times," she said.
"I would have good days where I could follow what was going on in school and in lessons, but that would be followed by a couple of bad days - so I would still be lost as to where I was in my studies. I wasn't getting the continuity I needed to do well."
Emma said it was around March this year when she started to feel better.
"That didn't give me very long to study for my upcoming A-level exams. I more or less studied for my A-levels in a matter of weeks, so I'm delighted to have got an A* and 2 As - I wasn't expecting those results at all," she said.
"I am hoping my grades will have secured a place for me in St Mary's University College to study to become a maths teacher. I would also hope to specialise in pastoral care so that I can help other students who suffer with depression or mental illness whilst in school.
"Aware is a fantastic charity and I am delighted to be working alongside them telling people my story in the hope that it will help other people. Depression is a very isolating illness, but with charities like Aware working to help people, no one should ever feel alone."
Aware chief executive Siobhan Doherty said more than 6,000 young people under the age of 19 in Northern Ireland were receiving anti-depressants.
"A lot of these young people will be studying for their GCSE and A-level exams just like Emma was," Ms Doherty said.
"I hope that Emma’s story will inspire other young people and comfort them with the fact that just because you have depression, does not mean you can't do well in your exams.
"We deliver the Aware Mood Matters Young People's programme in to post-primary schools to 14-18 year olds across Northern Ireland and we hear first-hand the stress and pressures young people are under. The Mood Matters programme provides them with the knowledge and skills to maintain good mental health and build resilience in order to better deal with problems and challenges."
