The truth about happiness

In Utah, it's far too easy to blame The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for just about everything. That's how it is with organizations that include about 70 percent of a state as members.

But judgments about causes should be based on facts. That's why Professor Daniel K. Judd's talk at BYU last week was noteworthy. Judd, who has a doctoral degree in counseling psychology and is a professor of ancient scripture, said his review of 540 studies involving mental health and religion found that devout people tend to be healthier, mentally and physically, than others. They also have greater marital and familial stability, and they tend to abuse substances less than others.

Much of this is common sense. It also has been reported before, as it was a few weeks ago when a professor at the University of Kansas found similar things in a study of happy families. These families don't necessarily have to be LDS, but a religious affiliation was an indicator of happiness.

But it's easy to forget this in Utah, especially when a pharmacy benefits company does a study that shows the state leads the nation in the use of antidepressants. The church (which also owns this newspaper) often gets blamed for setting standards some criticize as being too high, resulting in people feeling guilty and depressed about not measuring up. The same line of thinking surfaced when this newspaper recently published a series on teen suicide. One Provo mother, who described herself as an active LDS Church member, said the church's "culture of high expectations . . . can be so deadly to its youth."

In fact, that is completely wrong. A 2002 study by BYU and U. professors found that young men active in the church had a significantly lower suicide rate than others their age.

Now that this is cleared up, it's time to look for the real reasons why Utahns use antidepressants so much and why teenagers commit suicide. The truth is there are no clear-cut answers right now. Perhaps, as Judd suggested, Utahns are generally well educated about symptoms and treatments, so they seek help more than people in other states. Perhaps they are less likely to turn to alcohol or other drugs as forms of self-medication.

It would be nice to know. In any case, it has nothing to do with where they spend their Sundays.