This article reports on the mortality experience of 820 persons admitted to an outpatient psychiatric aftercare program between January 1972 & September 1975. There were 58 known deaths including 29 by drug abuse or overdose or violence. These categories included intentional overdoses & clear & presumptive suicides. 24 of the 58 deaths occurred within 30 days of the patient’s last contact with the medical centre. Aftercare patients as a group had 3.4 times more deaths than would be expected in the general population. Males were at significantly greater risk than females. A positive history of drug or alcohol abuse significantly increased the chance of death. A previous history of suicide attempt was not associated with increased mortality. (12 refs.)