Studied institutional suicide by examining clinical notes & records of 149 Ss who committed suicide. Schizophrenic suicides were characterized by a disturbed early social adjustment, a high degree of later disability & an unfavourable course of illness; depressive suicides were much less handicapped although they had a much higher long-term suicidal potential & alcoholic suicides demonstrated no signs of suicidal behavior & committed suicide unexpectedly after experiencing negative life events.