A retrospective study was done of 84 cases of suicidal hanging in the Cardiff area. 77 of the victims were male, 7 were females. This low incidence of female victims contrasts with other studies done in Denmark & the UK which reported higher incidences of hanging in women. No age group was identified as being particularly at risk. No evidence was found of clustering or seasonality. The findings are compared to other series & discussed with regard to the mechanisms of causation. (17 refs.)