The occupational therapy in psychiatric institutes in Holland is under discussion. In the psychiatrie Centre „St. Willibrord' at Heiloo (620 beds) we have made an attempt at also involving the patient himself in the discussion. For this purpose we have composed a random sample. In this sample there turned out to be a predomination of the long-stay schizofrenic patient of the little differentiated professional level. The weak spots of the patient in his work-situation appeared to be in the consistancy in working, the self imposed activity and the quantity of the production. The quality is found to contrast obviously and favourable with the care for utensils and the workshop.
The opinion of the patients about the work in the occupational therapy is: „It is not difficult not fatigueing, they think it more or less agreable, there is not much demand for different work within the occupational therapy, but about half of the patients would like to have work outside the Centre'. Remarkable in the discussions is that only a few of the patients know, that they earn something with their work or how much it is they do. Obviously the way the money takes is blocked for them.
On the question what they would do when did get the money themselves the spontaneous response was: „I would buy and buy and buy'.