The sample included 255 males and 168 females. The majority of the students were white, Protestant or Catholic, and lower-middle class to middle class. They completed 200 self-report questionnaire items relating to youth problems, difficulties, attitudes, feelings, and behavior. Results showed that the lack of multivariate analysis and of attention to sex differences in most previous research are important omissions. Although significant at the zero-order level, factors such as self-esteem and interpersonal problems at school were not related to suicide ideation when the effects of other explanatory variables were controlled. The incidence of suicide ideation was also higher for females than for males. Emotional problems and involvement in delinquent behavior were important predictors of ideation for females, while employment problems were the most powerful predictor for males. Tables and 64 references. (Author abstract modified)