Background: Studies have demonstrated that attention deficit, the decline of learning and remembering abilities could be risk factors for the decline of executive functions in adults with severe mental illness. However, the correlation between them is unclear, which could be a major obstacle to social function recovery in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Therefore, we aimed to discuss the possible relationship between attention, learning and remembering abilities, and executive functions in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Methods: 159 participants were divided into three groups according to DSM-4 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4), namely, schizophrenia group (n = 54), bipolar disorder group (n = 50), and healthy controls (n=55). The Trail Making Test A was used to evaluate individual’s executive functions. The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test and Simplified Visual Memory Test were used to evaluate learning and remembering ability, and the Continuous Performance Test and Stroop test were used to evaluate ability to concentrate. Results: Compared with healthy individuals, patients with schizophrenia were significantly impaired in executive functions, attention, memory, and learning ability (P<0.05), and patients with bipolar disorder were significantly impaired in executive functions, attention, and learning and remembering ability (P<0.05). However, no significant differences were found in executive function, attention, and learning and remembering abilities between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (P>0.05). In schizophrenia group, Attention deficit and impaired learning and remembering abilities were significantly correlated with executive functions (P<0.05). However, in the bipolar disorder group, only learning and remembering ability was significantly correlated with executive functions (P<0.05). Conclusion: Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients, compared with healthy individuals, have severer attention deficits and learning and remembering abilities. However, no significant differences were found in executive functions, attention, and learning and remembering ability between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.