Why high antidepressant use in Utah?

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.