This study was undertaken in February and March of 1975 in order to provide in depth analysis of those seeking hospital admission. It is a descriptive study of requests for voluntary admission to Oregon State Hospital. Special care was taken to incorporate the study in such a way that the current admitting procedures would not be rearranged or changed in any way. Essentially the study asks the questions: Who makes self-requests for hospitalization? Where do they come from? When? How do they get there? Why do they come? What is the history of their contact with other community agencies for service or previous hospitalizat ion? How does the hospital respond to the requests? In order to better understand the dynamics of the requesting population, attention was focused on: The possible differences between those individuals admitted and those denied admission. The comparisons of requests for first admission and readmission. The relationship of age and sex differences to the other findings in the study