The government has launched a new vision for mental health services in England aimed at improving services.

New Horizons: a Shared Vision for Mental Health will tackle depression, reduce suicides, improve outreach and tackle the stigma around mental health.

Professor Dinesh Bhugra, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, welcomed the strategy as an important step towards improving the quality and provision of mental health services.

Bhugra said: “We are particularly pleased to see the focus on early intervention in schizophrenia and psychosis, better transition services for young people, public mental health, and a reduction in out-of-area treatments. We also welcome proposals for a cross-departmental approach to services for people with personality disorder.

“The challenge now is to translate this broad agenda into concrete actions that will, in a consistent way, make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Increasing job opportunities for people with mental health conditions is also part of the approach. A new network of mental health coordinators will be created in every Jobcentre Plus area to improve employment support at a local level.

Andy Burnham, health secretary, described the plan as a “radical new approach to mental health”.

“New Horizons follows a decade of record investment in mental health services – there are now more consultant psychiatrists, more clinical psychologists and more mental health nurses than ever before.

“This strategy includes a national roll out of our successful talking therapies programme, NICE guidelines, new action on suicide prevention and a plan to tackle the stigma shrouding mental illness

Mental ill-health is the most common reason for claiming health-related benefits and costs the economy between £30bn and £40bn through lost production, sick pay, NHS treatment and the costs of being out of work.

Read the full plan.

Three quarters of doctors would rather discuss mental health problems with family or friends than seek professional help.

The survey of over 3,500 doctors, in Birmingham, reveals that doctors are reluctant to access mental health services because they fear being tarnished by its stigma, with potential damage to their career and professional integrity.

Key among the findings, published in the journal Clinical Medicine, is that only 13% of respondents would choose to disclose their illness to a GP or another health professional and that when it comes to inpatient treatment, 79% would opt for treatment in either a private or distant facility, rather than be treated by local NHS services.

In both cases, the decision appears most often to be based around concerns that personal information would not be kept confidential and that this may compromise career and/or reputation.

Lead researcher Dr Alfred White said: “Doctors who are reluctant to seek professional advice for mental health issues may be putting themselves, and possibly also their patients, at risk and we are concerned that there are a lack of options for doctors who feel they are mentally unwell.

“Doctors suffer higher levels for depression and substance misuse, as well as higher rates of suicide than the general population. The apparent lack of confidence in the current system protecting doctors’ confidentiality may exacerbate these trends.

“Greater emphasis is needed to educate doctors on mental health and to improve and extend the options open to them for accessing mental health support.”

The study had a response rate of over 70%, indicating that this is an important issue for doctors. And, controversially, 8% of doctors said they would either self-medicate or opt for no treatment at all.

Meanwhile, Dr Samir Dawlatly, a GP trainee in Birmingham, writes in the BMJ this week about being  bipolar. “It is such a guarded secret (until now) that I instructed my GP not to link my summary care record to the “spine,” the national system for making data available to NHS organisations. My fear was that other colleagues and potential employers could find out about my diagnosis,” he says.

“However, how can I encourage my patients to be open about their mental health problems and support them in any battles against discrimination if I am not also as open? Surely I would be a hypocrite?”