Abstract： Objective To investigate the status of treatment of patients with mental disorders in Liaocheng and the impact factors for medical intervention of mental illness. Methods From November 2004 to November 2005, 4800 ≥ 18-year-old population were enrolled from four counties (districts), eight townships (streets), 33 villages(neighborhood committees). General health questionnaire(GHQ-12), mental retardation/dementia diagnosis Scale(MMSE), clinical registration forms, such as SCID-P and the spirit of the United States Institute of DSM-IV diagnosis(DSM-IV) were used as diagnostic tools. Results Four thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight people completed the survey. Mental illness prevalence rate was 14. 20%, with a total prevalence rate of 15.31%. The first way of seeking treatment is from the internal department and neurology department of general hospital, which accounts for 62.9% ;the second is to turn to superstition and magic,which accounts for 18.2% ;the third is from private clinic of Traditional Chinese and Western medicine,which accounts for 8.8% ;the last is from special psychi-atric department,which accounts for 4.4%. The ways are mainly influenced by the level of education, distance,the forms and characters of occurring illnesses, attitude of society, knowledge about this kind of illnesses and guidance of doctors. Conclusion The important strategies to seek treatment in a right way and become healthy in time are to strengthen the cooperation of general hospital , the communtity health service institutions and psychiatric health special bodies ;to improve the diagnoising and discerning ability of non-specialista and to give guidance to psychiatric about the ways.