Background: Due to aged population and the high prevalence of chronic psychiatric disorders in our country and necessity of collecting information for therapeutic and rehabilitation programming especially in hospitalized patients, this study was done to evaluate and study demographic characteristics of hospitalized chronic psychiatric patients over age 55 in the largest psychiatric hospital of the country in second half of 2002.

Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study that was done by studying of current data. Data were gathered using medical records and interview. Then the data were extracted and classified. All data were compared in male & female groups and difference between them was calculated by statistical tests.

Results: Of total number of 1025 hospitalized patients we evaluated 191 patients over age 55. There were 108 women and 83 men. The most common jobs of women and men were housewife and simple worker respectively. Many women were divorced and the men were unmarried. A large percent of both groups were illiterate and most common psychiatric diagnosis was schizophrenia in both groups. The disorder in two groups had gradual onset. Most patients were hospitalized more than 10 times and most of them did not have any visitors.

Conclusion: Results indicate that these patients suffer from some psychological and somatic pains and they have poor social and family supporting. Thus we must try to program for de-institutionalization. More intention to rehabilitation and developing supporting systems are needed.