Retrospectively reviewed randomly selected case files of 195 Saudi patients admitted to a mental health hospital during 1986-1990. Mean age of the patients was 30.49 yrs; 155 patients were male and 80 were female. Other characteristics identified were family type, education, rural/urban residence, marital status, and occupation. Diagnoses included affective psychoses (33 patients), schizophrenic psychoses (111 patients), other psychoses (25 patients), and neurotic disorders (26 patients). Conclusions were that: (1) female patients underutilized inpatient services, (2) non-nuclear family structure and unemployment were significantly associated with mental disorders, (3) schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis, (4) combined drug therapy was common, and (5) physical diseases were common. Other characteristics noted were multiple admissions, high rates of relapse, family history of mental illness, and poor drug compliance.