Does Utah really have high rates of depression, suicide, and divorce?
Daniel Judd covers this issue in “Depression, Youth Suicide, and Divorce: Fables and Facts About Latter-day Saints,” in BYU’s Religious Studies Center Newsletter (vol. 14 no. 1, Sept. 1999). The article is a summary of findings published in Religion, Mental Health, and the Latter-day Saints (ISBN 1-57008-631-1). Findings include the following: • Women and Depression: The incidence of depression among LDS women is “nearly the same, if not lower than, for non-LDS women.” A news article to the contrary was based on speculation from a friend of the reporter. Other such reports have been equally unfounded. • Youth and Suicide: Research data consistently shows that religious belief and behavior are negatively related to suicide, resulting in decreased suicide attempts. Articles pointing out high suicide rates in Utah fail to mention that this is a regional phenomenon. “The Mountain West leads the nation with a rate of 18.6 per 100,000. Utah has the lowest rate in the Mountain region with 14.