This study was designed to test the hypothesis that more rigid construing of self and others is more common in non-psychotic psychological disorder than in the general population. Thirty-one adult referrals to either a psychiatric day hospital or a clinical psychology service were compared with 31 matched normal controls using a repertory grid. There was no support for the hypothesis, but there was evidence of greater negativity of self-construing in the client group. The implications of these findings for clinical practice are discussed.