Compared the educational and occupational status of 508 male and 459 female psychiatric outpatients to that of 100 male and 100 female medical outpatients, used as a control group, to explore the general belief that the rising incidence of psychiatric disorder is a product of the changes brought about by civilization and industrialization. Male psychiatric Ss, especially cases of neurotic depression and anxiety states were educationally better than controls. This was true even after excluding the overrepresented group that had secondary school or university education whose overrepresentation was attributed to external factors related to the availability of private psychiatric services. Occupationally, both male and female psychiatric Ss (except schizophrenics) were better than controls. Selection by education and selection by occupation were discussed. The better educational and occupational status of psychiatric Ss as a whole group contrasted with the poor educational and occupational status of the schizophrenic subgroup. The relevant hypotheses explaining this phenomenon are discussed.