Analysis of the clinical record of 149 inpatient suicide Ss & the same no. of control Ss representative of the entire admitted clinical population was carried out using a larger set of demographic, psychosocial & clinical variables. Results indicated a serious & incapacitating course of the mental illness in the suicide group. Analysis yielded a set of 5 variables that discriminated best btwn both groups. These findings have to be taken into consideration when estimating suicidal risk.