Due to moral, legal & social reasons suicidal ideation is not revealed by the psychiatric patients. They come out with their intention only on direct questioning. 241 patients were screened for having suicidal ideation & it was found that 25.3% had it in contrast to only 8.3% of case files it was recorded wher no direct questioning was made. The relationship of suicidal ideation with some selected socio-demographic factors is discussed.