It is generally believed that when discharged patients either do poorly in the community or are rehospitalized it may be because of the negative attitude of relatives. Freeman and Simmons3,4 found that patients living with wives performed at a higher level while in the community than patients living in a parental home. Both groups, however, were readmitted at the same rate. Brown et al1 found that successful outcome was associated with the social group to which the patients went—patients staying with siblings or in lodgings made a better post-hospital adjustment than those staying with parents, with wives or in large hostels. In each of the above studies there was some question as to the patient's condition at the time of release and it is possible that the results can be partly attributed to this fact. Wives may demand that their husbands be