A sample of the Dutch population (n = 1018) has been asked for their attitudes toward people who have been discharged from a mental hospita] and toward people with a mental disorder. The attitudes are measured in terms of social distance and the propensity to exclude the mentally disturbed from the community. Possible reasons for this exclusions are explored (anxiety, rule-breaking behavior). Furthermore the attitudes are related to social characteristics of the respondents (sex, age, marital status, social status, geographical characteristics, acquaintance with psychiatric patients). Finally the research-findings are compared with similar research from the U.S. and Canada and Holland of 10, 20 and 30 years ago.