The causes of suicide are to be found in self-destructive tendencies, but also in the failure to cope with them. This paper applies Durkheim’s formulation to the suicidal tendency rather than to suicide itself. Hendin’s “Suicides & Scandinavia,” is used to update Durkheim, & 3 famous Scandinavian writers are utilized for illustration. The author proposes the concept of “role collapse” as a general cause of suicide based on the fact that suicide is an act of despair.