Societies have increasingly viewed mental illness within the medical/biological model and argued that such illness represent a disease like any other. It was often assumed among practitioners and policymakers that such an understanding would reduce stigma of mental illness. However, recent research shows that not only are mental illness are a result of a socio-biological interaction, but that while citizens in advanced, industrialized nations increasingly view mental illness as a “real” illnesses, there has not been a reduction in stigma. Researchers across countries have been interested in understanding stigma within their specific societies, but data has not been available that can compare levels of stigma across societies. The Stigma in Global Context – Mental Health Study is the first theoretically and methodologically coordinated study that compares stigma toward mental illness across countries. In this session, we focus on papers that highlight how Europeans respond to mental illness, both in terms of stigma and recommendation of services. Importantly, I also include a methodological paper, as how to measure stigma across national contexts is a key issue for any researchers interested in cross-national research on stigma. Together, these papers provide evidence for how mental illness is perceived and responded to across European nations.