This study examined if there have been any changes in the methods used, particularly hanging, for male youth suicides, whether any changes were similar to those for other age groups, & to what degree any identified changes may have impacted overall suicide rates. All males aged 15-24 years of age who died between 1980-1995 & whose death was by suicide were selected from the New Zealand Health Information Services national mortality database. The rate for suicide by hanging was relatively low & stable in the early 1980s. By 1985, it started to increase dramatically up until 1989, at which point it stabilized again. The substantive increase in hanging was largely confined to males aged 24 years & younger. Rates for all other methods also increased but less dramatically. The reasons for this choice of method are unknown & warrant further study. (9 refs.)