Post-mortem psychiatric diagnoses are compared for 2 cohorts of male suicides from St. Louis (1956-57) & San Diego (1981-82). Substance/alcohol abuse remained the major diagnosis in suicides under age 60. Rates of depressive disorder alone have decreased overall, due mostly to decreased rates in the elderly. Comorbid depression & substance/alcohol abuse has increased in younger ages. Implications in terms of the so-called “cohort effect” are discussed. (14 refs.)