The initiative follows consultation with the RCGP, RCN, local health boards and community planning partnerships because health and social care professionals have been identified as key to success.

A six-part prime time TV series on STV called Make Me Happier, which is funded by the Scottish government, starts on 10 November.

Presented by Lorraine Kelly, it features six Scots suffering stress who are supported to cope with their feelings and to make positive changes to their lives.

The Steps for Stress campaign aims to help people to make achievable progress to tackle stress before it becomes anxiety and depression.

Dr Ken Lawton, RCGP Scotland chairman, said: ‘This new campaign will offer individuals an opportunity to feel better and more confident about tackling issues or problems they may have. It will also help them to develop new skills to prevent stress in the future.'

Theresa Fyffe, RCN Scotland director, said: ‘Nurses and other health professionals - particularly those working in community and primary care - have a crucial role to play in raising awareness of the effects of stress, and in supporting people to identify and respond to their own signs of stress before more serious health issues result.'