A 3-year urban material of suicides in adolescents and young adults (age 15-29 years) was studied retrospectively by means of interviews with survivors (n = 58). Classification of mental disorders according to DSM-III-R showed that major depression was important as background to suicides in 41%, primary (22%) or secondary (19%) to other disorders. Adding major depression, depressive disorder, not otherwise specified, dysthymia and adjustment disorder with depressed mood gave a total of 64% depressive syndromes. Schizophrenia (14%) and borderline personality disorder (28%) constituted other relevant groups. Coexisting substance use disorder occurred in 47%. A majority of the subjects (72%) were known by psychiatric caregivers and 16% committed suicide during inpatient care.