Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study investigated adolescent depressive symptoms & suicide ideation in stepfather families, paying attention to variation in pathways of stepfamily formation. Multiple theoretical explanations for the effects of family structure on adolescent emotional well-being were tested. In a model including only family structure & control variables, within each divorce history group, the risk of suicide ideation for youth living in stepfather families was similar to that for those living with a single mother. Evidence of an association between the duration of family structure stability & adolescent suicide ideation was found. (63 refs.)