Although the daily hassles of living are challenging and stressful to most people, suicide is a cry for help that often reflects tremendous emotional pain and distress. When one's normal adaptive coping skills or developmental capacities fail to manage these situations effectively, some youth and adults resort to suicide as a means of managing intense overwhelming negative emotional states. This article has discussed suicide among older adults and children and adolescents. The role of the nurse in recognizing high-risk groups, analyzing assessment data, and implementing treatment interventions that integrate holistic concepts and reflect cultural sensitivity has been described. The ultimate goal of nurses working with the suicidal patient is prevention. Prevention of suicide requires an understanding of the emotional pain that precludes this act. Through preventive measures, the nurse has the opportunity to establish a therapeutic relationship that enhances adaptive coping skills, restores homeostasis of biologic process, and facilitates an optimal level of functioning in all age groups.