Investigated the relation between capacity for adaptive regression, its manifestation in humor & degree of suicide lethality, in 31 female psychiatric inpatients. Used a clinical rating scale of “adaptive regression in the service of the ego”, humor measures derived from O’Connell’s Story Test, the Favorite-Joke technique, & a suicide potentiality rating scale. Confirmed a negative relation between suicidality & adaptive regression & ego strength, & a positive 1 between ego strength & humor.(KM)