The relationship between histories of suicide attempts, psychiatric disorders & other social problems was assessed by examining data from a random sample of 3,254 residents of Edmonton who were administered the Diagnostic Interview Schedule & the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire by trained interviewers. It was found that a history of mental disorders was 2.6 times more frequent in suicide attempters than in nonattempters. Risk factors for suicide were identified and discussed. (25 refs)