During the last 10 years, suicidal behaviour has become an important social and health problem. The paper identifies 55 cases of suicide registered at a local health unit in L'Aquila (98,751 inhabitants) during the period 1982-1987. It examines the social-demographic variables and the way suicide was carried out. A sample group of 12 cases was selected and the following aspects were examined: personality, psychiatric symptoms and other diseases, use of drugs, the relationship with the health system, drug abuse, familial tendency to suicide, life history, previous suicide attempts, and messages left before death. ISTAT tests concerning the report of death were used to collect data and semi-structured interviews were arranged with medical officers and the victim's relatives.