Lynn M. Tefft

About the author: Lynn M. Tefft is a staff writer for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gazette.

Most teens who commit suicide lack a sense of hope and feel that suicide is the only way to stop their pain or end their troubles. Certain risk factors, such as substance abuse, impulsive behavior, a lack of decision-making skills, or an absence of close or supportive relationships, may heighten teens' feelings of hopelessness. Furthermore, the suicides of prominent figures lead some teens to believe that suicide will earn them the attention they crave.

At 4:20 p.m. Oct. 3, 1994, Marilyn McEnany's life changed forever. McEnany, of Marion [Iowa], came home from work to find her 17- year-old son, Scott, dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in his sportutility vehicle. An eight-page suicide note lay near...