In view of recent studies of media use in mental hospitals showing that television is the predominant mass medium and one with great potential for therapy, a study was conducted to determine the patterns of television viewing in this environment. A total of 1,204 observations were made in five lounges on two wards of a mental hospital. Correlational analysis was used to determine the relationship of those viewing patterns to the patterns of other mass communication, interpersonal communication, and intrapersonal communication activities also taking place. The results indicated that there were certain structural forces, including scheduling of hospital activities and patient participation, that operated in the hospital to determine the patterns of these activities. Implications for the therapeutic use of television in the mental hospital include taking advantage of existing programing to teach patients how to watch television effectively, and developing therapeutic television programing using videocassettes and cable television. (DF)