Deinstitutionalization for people with mental disorders has only begun to be implemented in Japan. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine factors associated with discharge for long-term patients with schizophrenia. Seventy patients were judged capable of discharge with psychiatric rehabilitation (special staff service). As a result of rehabilitation efforts, 37 patients were discharged and 33 patients remained in the hospital. Significant differences were found in age, level of family agreement about patient's disability, and length of the special staff service. These factors might be important to predict patients' potential for discharge.