Abstract
SYNOPSIS A cohort of patients from Camberwell, who had been in psychiatric hospital for one year or more on 31 December 1964, is described. The attrition rate for this group, and the accumulation of ‘new’ long-stay patients from the area since that date, are analysed, and compared with published data from other studies. In the light of the resulting overall decrease in the long-stay population with time, possible trends in the future can be considered.