Although much has been done against the stigmatization and discrimination of the mentally ill, fighting stigma remains an essential task for mental health programs and for society. The descriptions summarized in this volume might serve as an inspiration for anti-stigma work and as an indication of potential collaborators in anti-stigma programs.

Because considerable variability exists between countries in the management of major depressive disorder, experts in psychiatry gathered for the International Consensus Group on Depression to outline a universal treatment algorithm for this illness. The experts decided to adapt the existing treatment algorithm developed in Japan and discuss strategies for clinical issues that have been problematic in some countries. Specific recommendations were made by the consensus group for screening for, diagnosing, and treating depression, which include periodically screening all patients for depression, completing a differential diagnosis of depression, referring to a psychiatric specialist if needed, establishing a therapeutic alliance with patients and their families, choosing and optimizing the dose of appropriate antidepressants based on individual patient's needs, and incorporating nonpharmacologic treatment strategies as necessary.

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Results from this international cross-sectional study indicate that current OCD treatment is in line with evidence-based treatment guidelines. Although augmentation strategies are widely used, no significant differences in OCD symptom severity were found between monotherapy and augmentation or between different therapeutic agents.

Stigma and discrimination because of mental illness change in the course of the mental diseases. Future research may take a longitudinal perspective to better understand the beginnings of stigmatisation and its trajectory through the life course and to identify critical periods at which anti-stigma interventions can most effectively be applied.