Introduction The process of stigmatisation of the mental illness is historical and goes back to the social conditions by which patients with mental disorders were submitted. Because of this, patients with psychiatric disorders are often assaulted, socially and even legally excluded because of the characteristics that arise from their illness. Besides, the mental health policy is based on ideological principles with no scientific guideline. This lecture intends to delineate a historical line on stigma, bringing to the present day the concept and path of meaning and current consequences in physical and legal life, propose a scientific guideline to the public mental health policy and describe the database on disease and concession of social security benefit due to mental disorder in Brazil.

Methods A research was carried out on the historical line on the stigma also on the guidelines of public assistance to mental health in the units of care for the patient with mental disorders and the database on disease and concession of social security benefit due to mental disorder in Brazil

Results Stigma is prejudice itself, causing irreparable losses to patients and their many aspects. In addition, it is intended to emphasise the need to combat prejudice to the mentally ill, showing that our main weapon is correct information. The public mental health assistance policy is ineffective. In 2014 there were 12.235 concession of social security benefits due to mental disorder in Brazil, with 28% for Depressive episods.

Discussion Much of this process occurs because of the inherent characteristics of the disease process, such as psychotic episodes, dissociative episodes, among others, that end up labelling and making life difficult for those with mental illness with no mental health assistance causing work absenteeism and high costs to the Security and Social National Institute.