Surveys were made of the frequency of occurrence of anemia in psychiatric long stay and admission patients. Clinical conditions occurring in anemic patients were diagnosed and response to Fe preparations was assessed. The frequency of occurrence of anemia in long term patients was no less than in the general population. The occurrence of anemic in elderly long term and elderly admission patients in a psychiatric hospital was considerably greater than in the elderly outside hospital but comparable with patients admitted to geriatric hospital care. Routine hemoglobin concentration estimations are advocated as part of the routine procedures for patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals and in the regular surveys of the long term patients in these hospitals.