OBJECTIVES: Stigmatization associated with mental illnesses could prevent schizophrenic and people with major depression to access to healthcare.  Stigma often varies depending on social contexts. A survey in this subject was conducted first in Germany, then in France and finally in Tunisia. The objective of current study is to describe public beliefs and attitudes about schizophrenia, major depression and psychotropic drugs in Tunisia. METHODS: Three questionnaires were administered face-to-face to a representative sample of 1038 Tunisian people. 415 persons answered a questionnaire on schizophrenia, 418 on major depression and 205 about psychotropic drugs. They were asked to address a validated questionnaire. RESULTS: All 1038 questionnaires were fully completed. 38.8% (resp. 26.8%) of people reported being not comfortable in presence of a schizophrenic patient (resp. major depression), while 33.7% (resp. 58.1%) reported they did. More than 89.9% (resp. 90.2%) felt the need to help people suffering from schizophrenia (resp. major depression), although 58.6% (resp. 43.3%) think that such patients are strange, and 29.6% (resp. 16.0%) think they are dangerous. 47.81% agree with the fact that psychotropic treatment helps people to better support the concerns of everyday life and 17.0% agree with taking these medicines if the person suffers constantly of light mood swings.    CONCLUSIONS: Survey results suggest that stigmatization around schizophrenia and major depression is present in Tunisia; there is a great public willingness to help mental disease patients as demonstrated by our study. To conclude, raising public awareness in mental health could reduce the enormous burden in terms of social functioning in families and societies from one side. On the other side, this stigmatization contributes to marginalize patients, exclude them from health care management and affects their disease severity.