Durkheim's 'Le Suicide' study attempted to explain that suicide was not merely an individual act and that sociology could explain what psychology could not.

To do this, he looked at suicide rates in relation to religion and found that Protestants were more likely to commit the act of suicide over Catholics. Durkheim put this down to the fact that the Catholic Church integrated its members; indoctrinated them with religious beliefs and ritual, whereas the Protestant Church allowed for its members to interpret the religion for themselves. This he believed to be 'Egoistic Suicide'; suicide for a Catholic is a sin and resulted in eternal damnation and so was avoided.

According to Durkheim 'Altruistic Suicide' is where a sacrifice is made for the benefit of others. Even though these individuals are integrated into society, suicide is seen as a 'sense of duty'. For example when there is a food shortage within the Inuit community, an elder may take their life to allow others to survive (Giddens, 2004). 'Anomic Suicide' happened during times of economic depression or indeed rapid economic expansion when social constraints were in disarray. Those within society may feel at a loss as how to adapt and destructive acts such as suicide prevailed.

Finally, 'Fatalistic Suicide', this occurred in history when one's hopes were oppressed and restricted, when there is no hope of improving one's situation the only way out may be suicide; seen within the concentration camps of WWII.