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Interesting article on why Utah has some of the highest suicide rates in America. The article presents one theory — altitude, but also poses evidence that conflicts with that theory. http://mic.com/articles/104096/there-s-a-suicide-epidemic-in-utah-and-one-neuroscientist-thinks-he-knows-why ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://mic.com/articles/104096/there-s-a-suicide-epidemic-in-utah-and-one-neuroscientist-thinks-he-knows-why The rates in the western states and in cold states and in states with less sunshine are higher than other places without those elements. Utah fits all three categories. Add the high number of children meaning more post-partum depression, as well as the general acceptance level of prescription medication and lower consumption of alcohol, and a higher rate of diagnosed depression doesn’t surprise me at all. Then throw in issues with cultural perfectionism . . . (I really do think the perfectionism probably is a lower factor of the ones I’ve mentioned.)
Don’t forget much of Utah is rural. In this neck of the woods, farmers have a high suicide rate – it’s a tough business, lonely and subject to major climatic/economic variation eg drought, crop/livestock prices, harsh winters etc.
And that’s partly why I didn’t become one!
Depression is itself often a symptom of a wider sickness in western society. But no one will deal with that since it’s a political matter.
SilentDawning wrote:Interesting article on why Utah has some of the highest suicide rates in America. The article presents one theory — altitude, but also poses evidence that conflicts with that theory.
It is interesting to see that all of the surrounding states also have relatively high rates of depression and suicide as well when other than Idaho and Wyoming the population of all these other states is less than 10% Mormon. So if the Church really deserved most of the blame for these statistics the way some critics like to make it sound then it seems like Utah should easily have over 10 times the rate of suicide, reported depression, prescription anti-depressant use, etc. compared states like Colorado and Montana instead of what we actually see.
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