Actor and comedian Stephen Fry has said psychiatry "saved his life at its lowest moment".
Fry was speaking as part of his support for a campaign in the UK, run by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which aims to attract more people to the profession.
The QI star is an honorary fellow of the college, has bipolar disorder and has been open about his struggles with mental illness.
He has also been president of the British mental health charity Mind since 2011.
Fry said: "Young people preparing for medical careers are realising more and more that the most exciting frontier in medicine is the human mind.
"But its study is more than just an intellectual challenge, it is a pathway to a life in psychiatry – the specialism that fights on the front line in our war against mental illness."
He added that psychiatry is "vital and rewarding work".
"I've encountered many doctors who have regretted, later in their careers, that they did not choose psychiatry, but I have never met one who regretted that they did.
"Because despite what you might think or have heard, psychiatry daily solves problems, saves lives, helps, and heals."
He continued, "I know I can say with absolute truth that psychiatry saved my life at its lowest moment.
"I don’t believe I would be here today if it were not for the psychiatrist who rescued me."
The campaign comes amid a "mental health emergency" in England, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which said almost 1.4 million people are waiting for treatment.
Source: Press Association
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