OBJECTIVES: Stigma and prejudice surrounding people with mental illnesses are a major impediment that contributes to prevent them to access to health care. This is the first part of a project that aims to assess impact of mental disorders stigma on willingness to pay for health care. The first part of the project describes public beliefs and attitudes about schizophrenia, major depression and psychotropic drugs. METHODS: Three questionnaires were administered online to a representative sample of 2400 French people. 800 persons answered a questionnaire on schizophrenia, 800 on major depression and 800 about psychotropic drugs. They were asked to address a validated questionnaire. RESULTS: All 2400 questionnaires were fully completed. 57.9% (resp. 35.3%) of people reported being not comfortable in presence of a schizophrenic patient (resp. major depression), while 18.6% (resp. 39.0%) reported they did. More than 72.1% (resp. 80.9%) felt the need to help people suffering from schizophrenia (resp. major depression), although 60.0% (resp. 16.3%) think that such patients are strange, and 36.1% (resp. 14.5%) think they are dangerous. 9.1% agree with the fact that psychotropic treatment helps people to better support the concerns of everyday life and 8.8% agree with taking these medicines if the person suffers constantly of light mood swings.  CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that stigmatization around schizophrenia and major depression is present in France; the public willing to help mental disease patients as demonstrated by our study, stress on the relevance of investing in mental health to reduce the enormous associated costs that burden individuals, families and societies. This stigmatization contributes to marginalize patients, exclude them from health care management and affects their disease severity. Impact of stigma on willingness to pay is being assessed.