The aim of this pilot study was to compare the burnout of nursing staff who worked with clients who displayed challenging behaviour in hospital-based bungalows and a community unit. Twenty-six and 12 nursing staff were randomly chosen from four hospital-based bungalows and a community unit. Staff assessed their clients' behaviour, using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and were later interviewed, using a self-constructed Staff Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The results showed that clients in the hospital-based bungalows were more severe in challenging behaviour than those in the community unit. The staff in the hospital-based bungalows were less satisfied with their salaries and enjoyed less their contact with clients. They complained more than the community unit staff and felt that their present training was inadequate. They were also more emotionally exhausted and experienced more depersonalization towards clients than the community unit staff. The level of personal accomplishment was, however, similar in the two groups. Correlations showed that there were significant associations between staff burnout and management issues rather than clients' behaviour, particularly in the hospital-based bungalow group.