Short‐term personal construct therapy was implemented with a group of elderly people, and its effects on their psychological states evaluated using content analysis scales. The states of these elderly were compared with those of two groups, one of well‐functioning elderly and the other a group of elderly who were matched with the psychotherapy group for age, sex and type of chronic illness. Neither control group had psychotherapy. When compared with the fully functioning group immediately after therapy, the psychotherapy group showed less anxiety and depression. When compared with the matched group on follow‐up 12 weeks later, they showed less anxiety, depression and indirectly expressed anger, and more feelings of competence as well as other good fee