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Background : Health care centers will have to set up a regular survey of their patients’ satisfaction, in addition to the discharge questionnaire. Few instruments for measuring satisfaction are at present available. A working group associating 10 psychiatric hospitals in Aquitaine conducted a study on the specificity of this measure in psychiatry. Aims of the study : to record the patient’s perception on the stay in order to identify areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction as perceived and reported by himself, using a qualitative approach. Methods : the critical incident technique was used in 3 volunteer hospitals, in patients hospitalised in psychiatric wards selected by their doctor. Interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire were conducted by an investigator external to the departments. Data were analysed in a qualitative way. Results : 32 interviews could be analysed, and 215 events were extracted. These events were classified in 12 themes. Conclusion : the events identified from these interviews have allowed identification of new areas of patient satisfaction, which could be used to build additional items centered on patients’ preoccupations.