One of the three main types of suicide, as identified by Emile Durkheim. When any serious disturbance in anomie occurs either positive or adverse, Durkheim reasoned that people would off themselves.
A prime example of a killing onself stemming from a positive disturbance in anomie would be Kurt Cobain's 'suicide'. Whilst living in Seattle can make you wish for another Great Depression, Cobain was at the zenith of a successful career in recorded grunge and with a newborn daughter. The upward spiralling of social expectations caused massive self doubt within Kurt. His personal taste for the shotgun was fatal.
Examples of suicide from the downward spiral of anomie are much more frequent, ranging from suicide in the trenches to Wall Street base jumping to the usual triumvirate of unemployment, divorce and boredom.
for more Durkheim-o-licious fun for all the family see Durkheim, Emile 1897. Suicide, a Study in Sociology, translated by John A. Spaulding and George Simpson. New York: Free Press