Wary of the stigma of a mental health diagnosis and its toll on their careers, physicians often avoid getting help for depression and other mental illnesses, a new survey suggests.

Researchers surveyed more than 2,000 physicians to assess treatment barriers. Nearly half of those surveyed thought they met the definition for mental illness at some point in their careers, but didn't seek treatment. Many survey respondents said they felt they could persevere on their own or didn't have time to seek care.

However, when researchers examined all of the reasons for skipping care, more than two-thirds were stigma-related. Many doctors said getting diagnosed would be embarrassing or shameful, or they believed they would be judged by others, deemed incompetent, or have their privacy and autonomy violated.

"I have definitely suspected a lot of people were feeling the stigma, but I was really astonished by how high the numbers really were," said Dr. Katherine Gold, assistant professor of family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, the study's lead author.