In the 1960s suicide was the fifth leading cause of death among adolescents. In the 1980s suicide is second only to accidents as a cause of adolescent death. In their 1966 study of 50 adolescents who had attempted suicide, Teicher and Jacobs conceptualized suicide as the end product of progressive isolation from meaningful relationships. From early childhood on, the suicidal adolescent was seen to have a longstanding history of problems that escalated in adolescence, resulting in a progressive isolation from family and peers that eventually led to suicide attempts. Much of the research on attempted suicide in adolescence conducted during the past 20 years which used control groups for comparison has validated Teicher and Jacob's hypotheses. Research has supported the idea of a longstanding history of problems, differentiating suicide attempters from normal adolescents and from nonsuicidal depressed adolescents and those with other psychiatric problems. Specific discriminating variables include a greater likelihood among parasuicides of the loss of a parent through desertion, separation, or divorce, but not through death. There is also a probability of visual-motor learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and high level of psychosocial stress during the childhood of adolescents who attempt suicide. A trend toward more overall stress, poor problem-solving skills, family disruption, and peer isolation during their adolescence has been substantiated. (Methodological problems and directions for future research are discussed.) A 42-item reference list is included. (NB)