Mental illness has great influence on the possibility of regular education, employment, sometimes cause temporarily or definitive work disability.

Current diagnostic criteria divide mental illness in two categories: psychotic disorders which consider more severe and nonpsychotic disorders as less severe disorders. Aims: The aim of this pilot study was to test the influence of quality of the mental disorder (psychotic/ nonpsychotic) on education completion and professional abilities.

Investigation involves 141 patients who were treated in two months period at CCS at the Psychiatric Clinic. Patients were divided in two groups according to ICD X criteria: group A- psychotic, group B- nonpsychotic disorders. Groups were equalized in sex and age. We compared groups in educational level (years of completed school), profession (employed, unemployed, retired, disability pension) and the age when the mental illness has begun.

Λ square test was used for the statistical analyses.

Results showed that there were no statistical significant differences between groups in educational and professional performance. Groups differ only in the time of illness onset (earlier in group A).

A group, in spite of earlier onset of the illness and more severe simptomatology, is equally successful in education and professional performance, as B group. This may be the consequence of the great support of the family and the society. It also gives us hope that something is changing in relation to psychiatric patients and that stigma, shame and exclusion is not, or will not be everyday experience this group of patients.