The opinions of patients who had caused deliberate self-harm about the attitudes of doctors, nurses, families and others towards their acts were studied. Their views of the attitudes of hospital staff were found to be markedly different from attitudes reported elsewhere by staff themselves. There were no differences between the patients' views of their handling by nurses, families, and others towards their acts were studied. Their views of the attitudes of families were unsympathetic. A significant association was found between repetition of an act of deliberate self-harm and the perception of an unsympathetic attitude within the family.