Psychology
Anomie and Its Role in Suicide Rates
Quick fact
In his pioneering 1897 study, Émile Durkheim discovered that suicide rates spike not only during economic depressions but also during unexpected booms—both are periods of anomie, when social norms no longer keep up with rapid change.
Why this is interesting
Imagine waking up tomorrow and the rules of everyday life—work, family, community—suddenly vanished. Would you lose your purpose? That eerie, disorienting state has a name, and it can be a matter of life and death.