Thirty-three men who left the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia [USA] against medical advice (AMA) during the period July-Dec. 1976 were compared with 33 controls matched by ward and date of discharge. The men who left AMA were younger (50 vs. 58 yr, t = 2.06, P < 0.05); more had a history of alcoholism (.chi.2 = 13.96, P < 0.001); and more had been hospitalized for alcohol-related problems (.chi.2 = 8.76, P < 0.01). During the next 6 mo., 6 of the 31 patients who left AMA on whom follow-up data were available died; only 1 of 31 controls died. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in average duration of hospitalization, service-connected status or social worker intervention.