The NSPCC revealed that on average it receives calls from five Scottish kids per day who need help with suicidal thoughts.
The charity say Childline delivered 1,781 counselling sessions to young people in Scotland in 2018/19, a 90 per cent increase compared to three years ago.
Those contacted the service reported about mental health, self-harm, family relationships as well as problems in education.
Across the UK there was 24,447 counselling sessions for children thinking of taking their own lives.
Those seeking help were mainly teenagers however the NSPCC there had been a sharp rise in the number of children under 11 asking for help.
The stories of children and young people featured throughout the campaign are based on real life experiences of young people who have contacted the NSPCC.
Hollie suffered from chronic anxiety as a teenager which led her to try and take her own life. She says she was saved by Childline:
“Following a suicide attempt I contacted Childline and spoke to a counsellor about how I was feeling. It was that conversation that stopped me from trying to take my life again when I got off the phone.
“Over the next couple of years, I stopped talking, walking, eating and taking care of myself. There were also more stays in hospital. Yet despite not talking to anyone, I would often call Childline and chat to a counsellor when I was feeling low. The service was my lifeline during my darkest hours.”
In response to the growth in the number of people seeking help, the NSPCC is launching a nationwide campaign - KIDS In Real Life - urging the public to help them save a child's life, in real life.
#KIDS_IRL is highlighting that with so much of childhood today happening online, there are more ways than ever for children to hide how they really feel.
The figure comes after it was revealed NHS Lothian missed its 18-week waiting time target for children with mental health issues.
Esther Rantzen, Founder and President of Childline, said:
“When we launched Childline in 1986, the majority of calls were from young people describing pain caused by someone else, this could include abuse, bullying or neglect.
"But over the last ten years we have seen a rise in the number of children describing their feelings of such intense unhappiness that they tell Childline they want to end their own lives. It is deeply disturbing that we have reached a point where, on average, 67 children a day are receiving help for suicidal thoughts and feelings.
“This new campaign highlights that many of these profoundly unhappy young people hide their feelings to those around them online, bottling up their suicidal thoughts which may become overwhelming.
"Worryingly we don’t have the resources to be there for every child who needs us, which is why it is so important the public get behind #KIDS_IRL and supports the NSPCC in their mission to be there for all the young people who reach out in their darkest hour.”
Childline is available 24/7 on 0800 1111 24/7, and offers a free confidential service to any child, or by contacting childline.org.uk, for counselling chat, emails or message boards.
