Background: It is not possible to predict suicide on an individual basis.Lacking this, interventions for the prevention of suicide may be targeted at identified groups with a significantly increased risk of suicide.Mental health care patients are such a group.Aims of the study: Determining the risk of suicide and suicide risk factors for patients known within mental health care, compared with the general population.METHODOLOGY Data was collected on all suicides among adult residents of The Hague who were registered for treatment in the Parnassia Bavo Group (PBG) for the period January 1, 2000 through December 31,2009.For the same period, CBS data was obtained on all suicides among adult residents of The Hague.As risk factors for both groups, information about age, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status was available.Data from the case register of PBG was used from the total group of adult patients of The Hague who were under care during the study period.Data from the municipality were used for totality of the population in The Haque.Results: During the research period, 177 suicides among adult The Hague residents known to the PBG and 482 suicides among all adult residents Hague took place.Compared to the Dutch population, the standardized relative risk of suicide for the inhabitants of The Hague was 1.2 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 1.3).Initial analysis show a 6-fold increased risk for suicide for the mental health population.Preliminary results show different risk factors (e.g.ethnicity) for suicide in both populations.Conclusion: Initial analysis show a clear and increased risk of suicide within the mental health population compared to the general population.Other risk factors for suicide will be discussed.