This report describes how 22 staff members of the Department of Psychiatry perceive suicide in 1 regional teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. Mental health professionals tended to differentiate the patientÕs conditions through 3 main avenues: psychotic symptoms versus personality problems, low intelligent quotients & high educational level, & high versus low lethality of method. These findings suggest that mental health professionals need to bridge the gap between their knowledge & understanding of suicide & patientsÕ & patientsÕ familiesÕ expectations for care & treatment. (LC) (23 refs)