Psychiatric inpatient suicides were traced from a Melbourne hospital death register for the 21-year period 1973-1993. Suicide rates for each of the years were calculated & an overall rate of 3.68 per 1,000 admissions was found. Suicide rates for the period after 1987 were significantly lower than for the period before 1987. However, there was a significant upward trend during the last three years of the study period. The role of the new Mental Health Act (1987) on reducing the suicide rate & the effects of the amalgamation of 3 hospitals on increasing the rate are discussed. (44 refs.)