The book not only issues a warning but alerts concerned adults to signs of suicidal depression in adolescents.

There is always a moment of shock, or horror—and for any parent, of fear—when a teenager chooses suicide. How could this happen? Didn't his parents know he was so depressed? She was so pretty, such a high achiever—what went wrong?

Andrew Slaby, a psychiatrist specializing in depression and crisis intervention, and Lili Garfinkel, a parent educator, shed light on these perplexing questions. They present psychological profiles of eight severely depressed adolescents who either attempted or committed suicide. In reading the teens' journals and talking with their family and friends, they found that the severity of their distress was missed, not because people around them didn't care, but because they didn't know what to look for, what questions to ask, or how to respond effectively. In addition to sharing these families' stories, the authors offer guidelines for recognizing and working with suicidal youth. In alerting readers to the factors that may lead to suicide, this book will literally save lives.