A retrospective cohort of discharged patients from all public psychiatric hospitals in Hong Kong (1997-1999) was linked to suicide data from the Coroner’s court. Patients hospitalized shorter than 15 days had significantly lower suicide rates than longer stay patients. The results were fairly consistent across immediate/late post discharge periods, gender, age, diagnoses, & narrow/wide definitions of suicide. This finding was opposite of what has been reported in the literature. Short hospitalization carried different suicide risks in different service settings. (11 refs.)