This monograph is an international overview of available information about the current status of rehabilitation efforts for the mentally ill. It served as a springboard for discussion at the Special Interest Group session at the Fourteenth World Congress of Rehabilitation International in Winnipeg, Canada, on June, 1980. The first part of the monograph introduces the international context of rehabilitation of the mentally ill and outlines the scope of the problem. In Part 2, two areas of interest to those working in rehabilitation of the mentally ill are surveyed: laws about mental illness and mental patients, rights and responsibilities, in various countries of the world; and rehabilitation procedures for treating the mentally ill in various cultures and countries. Part 3 suggests prospects for the future--collaborative efforts that could be made among nations and international organizations in disseminating information about rehabilitation procedures; and a summary of the needs of rehabilitation programs. A list of references is included. (KC)