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Utah leads the nation in rates of depression

Well that's a depressing article!!

Those four factors are nonsense. Have you ever been to northern Utah in January? It's like one very very long gray month. Christmas has just ended. School is back in session (with very few breaks during the winter semesters). There are no leaves, no sun, no happiness. It's all just very depressing; like a stagant muddy pond that appears to be frozen over. But then you step on it and your whole leg falls in and you get hypothermia to the bone. Your boot gets stuck in the mud and you have to walk home in frozen jeans and one bare foot that gets all cut up on the asphalt road.

That's why I moved to southern California! It was 75 degrees today.

How can this be since the majority of the people of Utah claim to live what is the "way of happiness". Obviously living a creed which sets up unreasonably high standards in areas where it out not get involved, isn't the way of happiness after all.

Ok, now here's where everybody throws in their 2 cents about how the LDS church is responsible for all of this.

Let me guess; Members of the church, especially women, are depressed because of the demands that LDS life places on them, and non-LDS are depressed becaue they are ostracized from Utah society.

There, I've already thrown it out there, so if anybody felt the need to say it they don't need to worry now.

Maybe we can start looking at the methodologically sound approaches to pinpointing the causes of depression.

Guy Smiley, I' hear what you're saying, but check out the report from the link provided in the article. The whole point they want to make is that better policies at a state level regarding access to treatment will improve depression rates. It may well be that prolonged nasty weather contributes to depression, and in fact, some research shows this, but that isn't the point of the study in question. This study is all about health insurance, public health/mental health policies, and access to treatment.

[Have you ever been to northern Utah?] GS,
Have you ever been to Seattle Washington? In 1968,
I came home for a 2 months leave from Vietnam. After 45 days of continual rain I told my dad I had to go back or I was going to hurt myself-talk about your Grey skies.... Then I went back, and it rained for another 4 months....
Can you say ZOMBIE?...... That is what I looked and felt like... I do believe that rain, weather, can cause depression.. I also know that our LDS religion can cause problems for some people. I sometimes feel that I am not living up to my full potential.... But then I get on my knees and thank the Lord for saving my life so many times, and get over/on with it...

The numbers are skewed, and can't be trusted.

In general American culture, most of the depressed self-medicate with alcohol or other drugs. Here in Utah, most of us don't use booze, so if we need anything, we get a prescription instead of getting drunk.

But that doesn't matter -- they whole "study" was just done to prove that the people who did it need more Federal money.

The article says that one problem might be that Utah has inadequate medical health services, yet Utah has the highest rate of antidepressant uses. Where are these people getting these mind altering drugs from if it isn't from medical health services?

As for weather being a factor, I doubt it since one of the bleakest of states South Dakota is the least depressed. It appears to have more to do with the depression gene and lack of education.

"Research was underwritten by a grant from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest drug manufacturing companies in the world." And surprisingly, the "research" showed that we need more mental health coverage!

Guy,
I'm sure the depression rate in Utah has nothing to do with the weather. I rather suspect it has much more to do with the relentless, "eternal" religious pressures. There is no way out for a young mother with five or six children and communal expectations staring her down day after day after day. It even makes me depressed to think about it.

Suppression = Depression

It makes me wonder why. Are we really so isolated or so busy making everything look like we are perfect that we forget the most imortant thing in life is our relationshiops.

Lets truly give thanks for our blessings and spend time listening to our children. That may help this state.

I deal with depression on a daily basis, triggered by prescription meds five years ago.
But Wyeth can fund all the 'studies' they want, I'm not looking to more pills for my 'care'.
Guy Smiley's funny description of January in Utah is one of the ways I get through depression -- humor, friends, keeping busy.

I'm surprised someone hasn't blamed Mormons for this yet.

It's the inversion. Driving from Salt Lake City to Alta on an inversion day is like waking up from a bad dream. I'm sure I'd be popping anti-depressants if I had to live in that smog bowl. Also, early Mormons and non-Mormons had a glass of wine to unwind. Today's Mormons cope by popping pills. Guess it's better than going postal.

Look at the suicide rate in Alaska. Twice that of Utah and near the bottom.

It looks like for depression the northwest and inter mountain areas of the US are more depressed.

I wonder why there are such major discrepancies.

Okay, I'll say it. You have to suspect a link between the high rate of depression in Utah and its higher than average percentage of LDS residents. I'm only speculating, of course.

Ever spent a winter in Detroit?? That's depressing...

I agree with what you are saying, but have you ever wisped down a mountain in 3 feet of powder? Have you ever taken the family up to Park City? Have you ever hit to most excellent groomed trails at Deer Valley? My friend Utah is awesome in January.

Psychologists will tell you that when a person thinks they believe in something that deep down they know is a lie, that is a form of schizophrenia.

I feel for the dominant culture in Utah.

"When you believe in things that you don't understand (or believe) then you suffer -
Superstition ain't The Way. - Stevie Wonder