In this study, 42 suicidal & 14 nonsuicidal affectively ill adolescent psychiatric inpatients were compared with respect to clinical phenomenology, cognitive distortion, social skills & familial/environmental stress. The suicidal group had an earlier onset & longer duration of affective illness, greater self-rated depression, greater cognitive distortion, less assertiveness, more often had a history of family suicidality, & had more life stressors within the 12 months before hospitalization.(VM)