This article describes the evaluation of schizophrenia patients' maintenance of grip as a comprehensive assessment of the total psychosocial status of these patients. This evaluation was tested with new schizophrenic patients (DSM-III) who took part in a standardized interview at entry and after a 2-year follow-up. The interviews and examinations were conducted by the psychiatric teams responsible for the treatment of the patients. There was a clear positive correlation between the evaluation of maintenance of grip and interpersonal interaction, heterosexual development, hobbies, level of activity and productivity (working) of the patients, and a negative correlation with negative symptoms. The psychodynamically interpreted evaluation of the degree of regression correlated positively with maintenance of grip, but only after the 2-year follow-up. At entry the other variables describing the psychosocial status of the patient explained 22% of the variation in maintenance of grip, but 41% at the follow-up stage. The evaluation of maintenance of grip presented at baseline also predicted the coping of the patients during the follow-up stage. The authors recommend that the evaluation of maintenance of grip be used as an auxiliary tool in the assessment and treatment of schizophrenia patients.