Abstract: Mental illness stigma is an ashamed mark attached to people with mental illness, which may impede the treating and rehabilitating process of clients. Theories on the cause of stigma fall into two approaches: functional and bio-cultural framework. The developmental model of stigma accounts for the progress of stigma. Identity threat model explains the mechanism of stigma. Stigma can be effectively reduced by protest, education and individual contacts. It is suggested at the end of the essay that in China, related research should focus on the analysis of the relationship between traditional culture, mental illness type and stigma, and then further explore the feasibility of strategies of stigma reducing

Key words: stigma, mental illness, developmental model of stigma, identity threat model