Mental health status was assessed in 43 SLE patients and 32 healthy controls applying the GHQ-30 version of The General Health Questionnaire. A 46.5% prevalence of non-psychotic psychiatric disturbance was found in SLE patients compared to 15.6% in the control group (p = 0.01). Factor analysis displayed that SLE patients reported far more depression and difficulty in coping compared to controls. In SLE patients, impaired mental health showed significant associations to several disease associated neurological manifestations, as well as to disease activity. The results indicate that the disease itself influences the psychological well being in a substantial number of patients with SLE.