http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53530394-78/suicide-utah-percent-health.html.csp

"495 Utahns took their own lives in 2011"

"A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of 2008 and 2009 data found that Utah had the highest percentage of adults with suicidal thoughts — 6.8 percent — compared with 2.1 percent in Georgia, the nation’s lowest

Once again, not surprising! That damn crutch. Sometimes I think, should I raise my kids in Utah? I worry about my kids feeling pressure from their peers as they get older. Utah is in its own little crazy ass bubble.

If you don't have to, I wouldn't. I had to live there for four yrs. and surely many nevermos felt as I did and do feel as I did that it was not a welcoming place and shunning of nevermos is rampant. How sad for kids. I got mine out of there at 9 and 12 yrs. of age thank goodness. I know it has changed in some communities now and that is a good thing. But where I was it has not changed AT ALL.

You know, the church always wants credit for it's "good" fruits, wholesome families, mass temple building and supposed growth, "high" standards and so-called charity work.

They don't look at Utah's high suicide rate, high rate of internet porn, high rate of depression, high rate of plastic surgery, high rate of bankruptcy and fraud. Hell, even polygamy is a fruit of the original Mormonism, if you want to split hairs.

It's them foreigners again...

I've been to Utah twice. It's OK for a vacation but if I were to live there, I'd blow my brains out too.

throughout the Mountain West. Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming all have high suicide rates. Some of those states have significant LDS populations, some do not.

http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=05114FBE-E445-7831-F0C1494E2FADB8EA

The last paragraph in the article states:

Research suggests that the high rate of suicide in the Intermountain West may be tied to elevation, rural communities with fewer health resources, access to firearms and a heavily western European population, which has been shown to have more suicidal thoughts.

Utah is a bummer place to live when you desire support from a feeling of community. Shunning is taught and praticed in mormon culture and it becomes a way of life that is easily observed and repeated.

I would not want to live there again.

Duh, of course Georgia's is the lowest. Everywhere you go in that state, it's hot women, beer, whiskey, and pecan pie. Not a whole lot to be depressed about.

I bet if they let Utah restaurants serve real beer at the table, and not the watered down crap, they would see their suicides drop by half.

than in the West.

and that contributes. I think a lot of it, though, is merely social pressure. Poor young men!

Oh, and apparently a focus on repressing masturbation increases suicide risks too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2012 11:31AM by Rebeckah.

Was singing the praises of Mormons and their "low" incidence of out-of-wedlock births...

Anybody care to fact check that claim? We financially challenged sorts are limited in the number of articles we can comment on at the Times.

Where does he get that? Utah has regularly suffered a high rate of teen pregnancy, supposedly because no one ever thinks the kids will have sex, so there's little awareness of contraception, compared to other parts of the country.

Beats the shit out of me...

Okay, I know where he got them, but we're supposed to stay PG with our posts here...

In other words -- they pressure they kids to marry and call it "moral".

OK yeah, I see...

The last paragraph was nuts. It may be the altitude and the western european ancestry?

How about the religion filled with guilt and impossible goals? Never being good enough? Constantly criticized, manipulated, monitored and controlled? A religion that feels inescapable. A church and or temple within eyesight every where you go. Unbending family ready to shun you at any given moment.

Nope. It's the altitude.

If you saw higher than average suicide rates in other areas of high LDS concentration then it would be easier to sort out what to attribute to Mormonism (or not).

I Read pieces from Marion Strickers book about the double bind everyday.

Suicide must really be the binders final solution to get the self completely out of existence. It is also the most concrete statement that the binder have total control over a subjects self and life.

The article suggest talking to family, friends or clergy. I was appalled by the attitude many church members have about depression or mental illness in general. I heard members say that anyone who is depressed doesn't appreciate the blessings they have. They are not even aware there can be medical reasons for depression. I remember hearing a talk during general conference telling abuse victims to "just get over it". I also read someone's post about "acting crazy" to get sent home from a mission.

Is the lds lay-priesthood even trained in this area?

I don't think it should count as a birth-within-wedlock if the parents get married two months before the water breaks.

It's not a low number of out-of-wedlock births as much as a high number of shotgun weddings. Such bullshit.

Those nonmembers and inactives sure are unhappy people, arent they?

If only they could see how happy the church could make them, they would not be killing themselves.

Just had to put the TBM spin on it...