Stigma: many mechanisms require multifaceted responses.

Intense attention to the problem of stigma in mental illness is emerging around the world. The fruits of this burst of attention will be wide ranging and deep to the extent that our efforts are sustained and address fundamental stigma processes. In this commentary I set forth a definition of stigma that is derived from thinking about many different stigmatizing circumstances. Then in light of this definition I draw attention to several ways in which stigma-related discrimination can limit the life chances of people with mental illnesses. Attending to this definition and to the multifaceted ways in which discrimination affects life chances underscores the need for interventions that can address the fundamental causes of stigma processes.