The epidemiology of parasuicide cases presenting at RK Khan Hospital was examined in response to a request from the RK Khan Hospital Advisory Board, (1,2) in Chatsworth, Durban to the Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Natal in Durban. There were two parasuicides per day in Chatsworth and this was alarming to the local community and medical personnel in Chatsworth (3) necessitating a study to be undertaken.