The end of the last millennium witnessed an unprecedented degree of public awarenessregarding mental disorder as well as motivation for policy change. Like Sartorius, we contend thatthe continued stigmatization of mental illness may well be the central issue facing the field, asnearly all attendant issues (e.g., standards of care, funding for basic and applied research efforts)emanate from professional, societal, and personal attitudes towards persons with aberrantbehavior. We discuss empirical and narrative evidence for stigmatization as well as historicaltrends regarding conceptualizations of mental illness, including the field's increasing focuson genetic and neurobiological causes and determinants of mental disorder. We next define stigmaexplicitly, noting both the multiple levels (community, societal, familial, individual) through whichstigma operates to dehumanize and delegitimize individuals with mental disorders and the impactof stigma across development. Key developmental psychopathology principles are salient in thisregard. We express concern over the recent oversimplification of mental illness as “braindisorder,” supporting instead transactional models which account for the dynamic interplayof genes, neurobiology, environment, and self across development and which are consistent withboth compassion and societal responsibility. Finally, we consider educational and policy-relatedinitiatives regarding the destigmatization of mental disorder. We conclude that attitudes andpolicy regarding mental disorder reflect, in microcosmic form, two crucial issues for the nextcentury and millennium: (a) tolerance for diversity (vs. pressure for conformity) and (b)intentional direction of our species' evolution, given fast-breaking genetic advances.