Studied childhood & antecedent separations in 330 white & black attempters & matched control nonsuicidal psychiatric patients. There were more white & female attempters with a history of childhood & antecedent separations than controls. Social class did not account for this. The attempt group had more black male & female patients with early childhood separations. There was no significant interaction between childhood & antecedent separation & attempt in white & black female & male patients.