The first aim of this study was to investigate how long-term mentally ill persons adjusted to life after de-institutionalisation. The second aim was to estimate the relevance of interpretations made previously in a qualitative study, concerning long term mentally ill person’s incapability to benefit from new experiences. A survey was conducted in 1996 and a follow- up was made in 1998. A randomly chosen sample of longterm mentally ill persons replied to questions about their living conditions as well as interpersonal relations, personal experiences and self-esteem. Most of the participants in the study were living alone and their everyday lives seemed lonely and inactive. In spite of decreased psychiatric consultations after the psychiatric de-institutionalisation, they changed neither their external nor their internal world during the two years covered by this study.