More of the LDS women were married at the time of the survey than those nationally, and the latter group had experienced divorce at a rate four times higher than their LDS counterparts, she said. Sixty-two percent of the RM group and 52 percent of the NM group reported being "very happy" with their marriages, compared with 38 percent of NSFH women. Yet fewer of the latter group reported being "very unhappy."

When that category was combined with "unhappy," 11 percent of NM, 7 percent of RM and 6 percent of NSFH fell into that category. Additional research is necessary to determine why a larger percentage of LDS women are unhappy than the national group, she said.

In measuring self-esteem, LDS women scored roughly 10 percent below their national counterparts in rating their ability to "do things as well as other people," with 86 percent of NSFH agreeing but only 75 percent of NM and 77 percent of RM agreeing with that characterization. She said the findings "could be a reflection of the higher standards that are espoused" by the church and some researchers claims that measures used in self-esteem research are biased against orthodox respondents because their language is contrary to religious ideals like humility.

Measures of depression showed the LDS women experienced symptoms associated with depression — including feeling bothered, not eating, feeling blue, unable to concentrate, fearful, restless sleep, lonely, sad — on average about one day a week, while the national group experienced them 1.5 days per week. The largest difference in scores came in appetite, with national women having a loss of appetite about three-fourths of a day more per week than LDS women.

The characterization of LDS women as more depressed than others had its genesis in a documentary aired in 1979 by KSL Television, produced by Louise Degn, dubbed "Mormon Women and Depression," Johnson said. Degn "never claimed Mormon women were more depressed than other women but instead highlighted the problems encountered by Mormon women who experience depression."

The broadcast proved important because it encouraged many who were suffering from depression to seek help, she said. But it also "began a public discussion that depicted Mormon women in general as depressed."

A 1994 article in the Salt Lake Tribune "added fire to the discussion" when a Page 1 story on the anti-depressant drug Prozac "clearly implicated LDS women," Johnson said. Two doctors who had been quoted in the story subsequently "claimed they had been misinterpreted," she said. "The debate still continues as to why anti-depressant sales are high in Utah. To date no conclusive evidence has been presented that proves that LDS women are more depressed or take more anti-depressants than other women."

Relying on claims from early social scientists that the conservative faith's demands are "constraining and that LDS women are discouraged from pursuing careers and other courses that bring satisfaction and provide for mental well-being, these discussions depict depression as a pervasive problem" among LDS women.

Yet Johnson said the most significant finding of her study was that "increased religiosity predicted increased life satisfaction and mental well-being."

---

E-mail: carrie@desnews.com