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Since 1982, records of admission to the Regional Poisoning Treatment Centre (RPTC) in Edinburgh, Scotland have been computerized. Between 1982 and 1987, the average number of patients admitted to the RPTC each year for deliberate self-harm was 1,154. Forty-two of those patients had been admitted three or more times within the same week. Of those 42, only two were employed and all were from the lower socio-economic classes. Thirty-three had at least one known arrest conviction, and 18 had served at least one prison sentence. Thirty-two patients had repeatedly taken drug overdoses, and eight had cut their wrists at least once. The majority of episodes of self-harm were unexplained, although 32 patients had consumed alcohol before hurting themselves. Twenty-three were diagnosed with personality disorder. To describe clinical features and demographic characteristics of patients who frequently harm themselves, these 42 patients (23 men and 19 women with an average age of 29.5 years) were followed-up for one-year. Case notes from Edinburgh hospital and health-service clinics, as well as computerized national health service-registers provided follow-up data. By the end of the follow-up period, 36 patients had been readmitted to the RPTC; 34 had been readmitted within three months post-discharge. Fifteen had been re-convicted, and 10 served prison time. Only one patient was employed. In this sample, psychiatric hospitalization did not prevent repetitive self-harm. The lack of suicidal events was attributed to the young age of the patients and to the fact that no one in the sample was considered to be acutely mentally ill. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)