Studied are 100 cases of suicide, established the proportion of recurrent affective disorders & attempted to estimate the impact of lithium on these cases. Based on a criteria for affective disorder, it was established that 21% were recurrent cases. It was argued that if lihium can prevent recurrent depression, then 21 cases of suicide would have been prevented. Less stringent definitions of recurrent affective disorder & prolonged lihium treatment, may prevent more suicides.