Leave it to a Mormon Church-paid Provo professor to "prove" that depression isn't really a big deal for Utah's Mormon population:
"PROVO--The LDS Church shouldn't be blamed for Utah's reputation as the runaway leader in antidepressant use, says a Brigham Young University professor.
"And membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints clearly has a positive influence on mental health, according to Daniel K. Judd's review of 540 studies on religion and mental health.
"'With few exceptions, Latter-day Saints who live their lives consistent with the teachings of the (church) experience greater well-being, increased marital and family stability, less delinquency, less depression, less anxiety, less suicide and less substance abuse than those who do not,' Judd said Tuesday during a BYU Forum on campus.
"Judd earned a doctoral degree in counseling psychology at BYU, where he is a professor of ancient scripture. He has focused for a decade on the mental health of the membership of the LDS Church.
"In 2001, a pharmacy benefits company released a study of its members that showed Utahns gulped down more anti-depressants in 2000 than residents of any other state.
"National media outlets did stories, including one published by the 'Los Angeles Times' during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
"Since then, some psychiatrists and church critics have speculated the LDS faith and culture had something to do with Utahns using antidepressants at twice the rate Californians did. Some critics say the church or its culture demands too much of members, especially women. About 70 percent of Utahns are church members.
"Judd said there are no studies that explain the higher use of antidepressants in Utah, or for that matter in Maine and Oregon--the other two states with high rates of anti-depressant use.
"Judd also offered an explanation of his own.
"'Perhaps one of the reasons the residents of Utah lead the nation in the use of antidepressants is that since they are generally more educated and aware of the symptoms and treatments of depression, they are more likely than the residents of other states to seek medical treatment.'
"In fact, he said, a closer look at the pharmacy study showed Utahns did appear more likely to seek medical help. The state also ranked first in the use of narcotic painkillers and was in the top three in prescriptions for thyroid medications, anticonvulsants and anti-rheumatics.
"Overall, Utah ranked seventh in total prescriptions.
"The president of the Utah Psychiatric Association thinks Judd could be right. Dr. Michael Kalm said Utahns, for example, are aware of world-class research conducted at the University of Utah's medical center.
"'We may be more willing to seek cutting-edge, scientifically based treatment for these disorders, including antidepressants,' Kalm said.
"Utah's LDS population also might more readily turn to the medical profession for help because the church advises members not to use alcohol and tobacco. Research indicates Latter-day Saints in Utah and elsewhere are less likely to self-medicate, Judd said, with those drugs or illegal drugs.
"Judd said recent surveys show that some LDS women report higher incidences of depression than women outside the church, but added, 'I am not aware of any study using standardized psychometric tests that associates Latter-day Saint belief or practice with increased depression among LDS women, men, adolescents or children.'
"Judd began to review studies on religion and mental health in 1983. His look at 540 studies that measured both mental health and any religious affiliation, belief or practice showed that 51 percent found a positive association between religion and mental health. 16 percent indicated a negative relationship."
"'The majority of studies I have reviewed are supportive of the assertion that religious belief, and most especially faithful religious devotion, facilitates mental health, marital cohesion and family stability,' Judd said.
"The positive association held true for most religions.
"His review also found that 71 percent of studies regarding LDS samples indicated a positive relationship, with 4 percent negative, 24 percent neutral and 1 percent mixed.
"Critics have also blamed LDS Church teachings and practices for a higher-than-average rate of suicide in Utah, but Judd cited a study by BYU and University of Utah professors, published in 2002, that found the suicide rate among young men active in the LDS Church was significantly lower than among young men not active or not members of the church. The results replicated a similar study published 20 years earlier and was consistent with other studies.
"He said recent research also shows that the divorce rate among LDS couples falls below the national average.
"None of the findings should leave the impression LDS Church members are superior to or have fewer challenges than other people, Judd said.
"He also cautioned against perfectionism, acknowledging that LDS culture does lead some members to attempt too much.
"'It's not our theology that's at fault,' he said during a question-and-answer session. 'It's our culture, at times. The doctrine isn't, "Come unto me, all ye heavy laden, and I'll give you more to do."'
"BYU holds forum assemblies several times each semester. Each forum is a lecture by established professors, either from BYU or other universities, or other experts who share research and insights from their life's work."
("Why High Antidepressant Use in Utah?: BYU Professor Says LDS Church is ot to Blame," by Tad Walch, "Deseret News," 22 July 2006, at:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/640196840/Why-high-antidepressant-use-in-Utah.html)
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Now, as to that "Los Angeles Times" piece, here it is, as reported from the Belly of the Beast:
"Study Finds Utah Leads Nation in Antidepressant Use; Some Point to the Pressures of Mormonism, Especially for Women, to Explain the Surprising Findings"
"SALT LAKE CITY--Doctors here have for years talked about the widespread use of antidepressants in the state. But there was no hard evidence until a national study that tracked drug prescriptions came to an unexpected conclusion:
"Antidepressant drugs are prescribed in Utah more often than in any other state, at a rate nearly twice the national average.
"Utah's high usage was cited by one of the study's authors as the most surprising finding to emerge from the data. The study was released last summer and updated in January.
"Other states with high antidepressant use were Maine and Oregon. Utah's rate of antidepressant use was twice the rate of California and nearly three times the rates in New York and New Jersey, the study showed.
"Few here question the veracity of the study, which was a tabulation of prescription orders, said Dr. Curtis Canning, president of the Utah Psychiatric Assn. But trying to understand the "why" has puzzled many, he said.
"'The one true answer is we don't know,' said Canning, who has a private practice in Logan. 'I have some hunches.'
"'In Mormondom, there is a social expectation--particularly among the females--to put on a mask, say 'Yes' to everything that comes at her and hide the misery and pain. I call it the 'Mother of Zion' syndrome. You are supposed to be perfect because Mrs. Smith across the street can do it and she has three more kids than you and her hair is always in place. I think the cultural issue is very real. There is the expectation that you should be happy, and if you're not happy, you're failing.'
"The study did not break down drug use by sex. But according to statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health, about twice as many women as men suffer from depressive disorders.
"Discussion of the issue inevitably falls along Utah's traditional fault lines. Some suggest that Utah's unique Mormon culture--70% of the state's population belongs to the church--requires perfection and the public presentation of a happy face, whatever may be happening privately. The argument goes that women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are beset by particular pressures and are not encouraged to acknowledge their struggles.
"Helen Wright, 71, of Taylorsville, Utah, has been using various antidepressant drugs for 20 years and says she's never had problems getting prescriptions.
"'Look around, you can easily find people who take them. I think it's the cultural environment,' said Wright, whose three grown children also take antidepressants. 'Most men here would just as soon their wives take pills than bother to delve into the problems, and maybe find out they might have something to do with the problems.'
"Not so, says Fred M. Riley, commissioner of LDS Family Services. The church maintains 10 offices in Utah staffed with licensed counselors. Riley said he has heard the various explanations of the study but he dismisses suggestions that the Mormon religion imposes any expectation of perfection.
"'The fact that the church has established family services shows they care about the emotional side of members," Riley said. "In fact, the LDS population is more open to getting help and getting things fixed.'
"Utah's large families--the biggest in the nation according to the 2000 Census--are often cited as a contributing factor to depression, again, largely among women. Others call the "harried housewife" explanation the stuff of urban legend.
"'The question I would raise is whether there is any evidence that a high level of social demand predicts depression," said Amanda Barusch, a professor in the graduate school of social work at the University of Utah. "Who says that having six kids will make you depressed? There's no evidence in the literature that shows that. Stress is not the same as depression.'
"The study was conducted by Express Scripts Inc., a St. Louis-based pharmacy benefits management company, which tracked prescriptions of 24 drug types in about 2 million people selected at random from its 48 million members. Those studied were enrolled in privately managed health-care programs, and the information gleaned from the study is intended for use by HMOs. Medicare and Medicaid recipients were not included in the study.
"Utah also leads the nation in the use of narcotic painkillers such as codeine and morphine-based drugs, the study found, and is ranked seventh in total prescriptions overall. Kentucky ranked first.
"The study was the first national survey that examined regional trends in drug use. The information in the "Prescription Atlas," as the study is called, has made little impact here since its publication.
"No official interviewed in Utah's mental health or substance abuse agencies had much notion as to what the study says about Utah's mental health.
"'To be honest with you, I don't have a clue,' said Randy Bachman, director of the Utah Division of Mental Health. Bachman was not in his current job when the study was released. While the results speak for themselves, he added, interpreting why antidepressants are in high use is a thorny matter.
"State officials say the study's results could indicate that this is an enlightened society in which depression and mental illness are destigmatized. In such a social climate, they say, more people are willing to seek help and, eventually, are prescribed drugs.
"'That's certainly a plausible explanation,' said Emily Cox of Express Scripts, one of the five authors of the study. 'There's a lot of inferences being drawn from this. We can't say if there is a higher probability for depression or depressive symptoms. You may have a population that seeks care for less severe symptoms. You may have a medical community that prescribes more readily.'
"Cindy Mann, who lives in Logan, said after 15 years of taking antidepressants and not feeling better, she finally quit in July. Today she encourages others to do likewise, but she's pessimistic.
"'It's like Happy Valley here,' she said, describing the Salt Lake Valley. 'It's a scary place sometimes. People don't talk about their problems. Everything is always rosy. That's how we got ourselves into this mess--we're good at ignoring things.'"
("Study Finds Utah Leads Nation in Antidepressant Use; Some Point to the Pressures of Mormonism, Especially for Women, to Explain the Surprising Findings," by Julie Cart, "Los Angeles Times," 20 February 2002, at:
http://www.rickross.com/reference/mormon/mormon64.html)
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Finally, for Mormon apologists who claim that the above studies are too outdated, here's a subsequent revise on "Depression and Suicide Rates State by State," with "[s]tates ranked by the prevalence and seriousness of depression among residents, from the least at the top to the most at the bottom."
Utah comes in #1 in depression and #7 in suicide.
("Depression and Suicide Rates State by State," in "USA TODAY, 28 November 2007, at:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-11-28-depression-suicide-numbers_N.htm)
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Though I walk through Utah's Happy Valley of Death, I will fear no evil, for my anti-depressants are with me.
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2013 12:43AM by steve benson.