Although the suicide rate of young adults has increased dramatically, few empirical studies examine suicide in the normal population. To examine suicidal thinking and behavior in a college student sample, 43 female and 23 male college students responded to an adverse life event scenario and then filled out an extended questionnaire regarding suicidal thinking and behavior. Results showed that 39 % of the subjects had seriously considered suicide, and 8 percent had made a suicide attempt. Females were significantly more likely to have thought about suicide during the previous year, but males were as likely as females to report using suicide as a threat or manipulation. Although past research indicates that suicide projectors have higher rates of suicidal thinking, the fact that 62% of this sample were projectors raises questions about the validity of the projective method. (Author/JAC)