THE family of a York teenager who took his own life have urged people not to be afraid to ask for help during the festive period.

Tristan Powell was 17-years-old when he died in August, after a battle with depression, and his parents Kevin and Pia-Mari have pledged to raise awareness of how difficult it can be for young people to talk about their feelings.

Pia-Mari said Tristan's desire to keep his depression hidden made it harder for him to deal with it, and ultimately led to his death, despite the love and support of his family and friends.

She said: "Unbeknown to most people, this warm hearted, sociable youngster who lit up the room as he entered, whose off-the-wall humour cheered everyone up and who made every person around him feel special, struggled with a depression that got deeper and deeper. In the end he could not cope with the pain any longer, so took his own life. A life full of promise snuffed out; leaving an empty space that those of us fortunate enough to know him will never fill.

"His life and his death has touched so many and during the days that have followed since he died, I have begun to understand just how many people, of all different ages, are or have been affected by depression and how lonely it can make you feel, even when you are surrounded by loving people - even more so if you are alone. Nearly every person I talk with have either themselves felt very low or know someone close who are or have been in that situation."

Pia-Mari said since Tristan's death she, Kevin and Tristan's brother Oscar have "come to know just how much compassion there is around us", through the support of friends and family, and said Tristan's death could help share a message he had believed in life.

She said: "I am so grateful. Grateful that we’re allowed to talk about what is nigh on impossible to accept with people who hear us. Our friends and many of Tristan’s have rallied around and we and they try to look after each other together.

"We have to thank Tristan for this. He asked us all to look after ourselves and talk openly about feeling low, stop trying to ‘man up’, ask for help before things get too tough and try and have good lives, if he couldn’t manage to stay alive any longer."

Pia-Mari said it was important for everyone to try and share compassion at all times, but especially during the festive period, which can be very stressful, and urged anyone with concerns about themselves, friends or family to contact an organisation which might be able to help them.

She said: "As Christmas is drawing nearer, in these short days and long nights it is easy to get overwhelmed - loneliness, worries over economy, study, work or family stress, actually, just being human when it’s too dark outside can chase us into a very scary place.

"Family and friends might be the last people you want to burden or confess this to - that living, existing is difficult - but I don’t want anyone else to go through what we, Tristan’s family and friends are going through now. So try to welcome others in even if it’s hard. I have also found that it’s not only those close to me that are full of compassion, there are several charities who provide someone who listens and hears as well. Please, please, please, find someone who listens. And treat yourself as a best friend would, take care of yourself, you are precious just as you are."

*Anyone with concerns about depression can phone PAPYRUS' HOPELineUK on 0800 0684141, or go to papyrus-uk.org