The following is excerpted from the Deseret News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Research studies on the mental health of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can help us come to a better understanding of “things as they really are.” Both positive and negative outcomes have been reported that require serious attention. The data can help us understand where problems exist and how we can best help those in need. At the same time, we must be wise as we evaluate these studies.
It goes without saying that research that isn’t done well — and the unreliable data that result from poorly done studies — create phantoms that distract us from making progress. This is also true for the misinterpretation of reliable data. For instance, statistics about Utah are often used as proxy for statistics about Latter-day Saints. This is unfortunate, given the mental health of the citizens of Utah appears to have far more to do with region than religion. To understand Latter-day Saints, research on Latter-day Saints is required.
In a recent devotional at Brigham Young University, one of our team members, Justin Dyer, described an article we recently published that reported a review of the last 18 years of research on the mental health of Latter-day Saints. This research helps us have a more accurate understanding of the mental health of Latter-day Saints. Here are some key finding.
Substance use/abuse
It’s not surprising that research consistently finds Latter-day Saints less likely to use alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs than the general population. Given that using these substances is tied to impaired physical and mental health, avoiding these is certainly a benefit for Latter-day Saints.
Depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
