Death rates & causes of death during a mean period of 5.8 years were investigated in 250 male inpatients with psychotic disorders. Clinical & neurobiological characteristics were compared in patients who completed suicide & non-suicide patients. Factors significantly correlated with completed suicide were: depressive mood, elated mood, paranoid ideas & paternal age. No correlations were found with age at onset of illness, duration of illness, substance abuse or neurobiological parameters.