59 psychiatric inpatients were divided into 3 groups: 12 nonsuicidal, 29 with suicidal ideation & 18 attempters (average age 35, 38 & 33 yrs, respectively). Content evaluation of accounts, of psychological & environmental events in the day before hospitalization, showed that attempters were more likely to have used alcohol or marihuana & less likely to have contacted a health care professional than ideators. 2 suggestions to clinicians are presented.