When God Is Not Enough: Religious States Have Highest Rates of Anti-Depressant Use

[Skyler]

When God Is Not Enough: Religious States Have Highest Rates of Anti-Depressant Use

 

AlterNet by Laura Gottesdiener February 14, 2013

 

They say that religion is the opiate of the masses, but it seems that the opiates of the religious are antidepressants.

 

A study released yesterday confirmed that Mississippi remains the most religious state in the Union, followed by a handful of its southern belt brothers: Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, as well as the Mormon stronghold of Utah. The Gallup poll showed that 58 percent of all Mississippians identify as “very religious.” The least religious states in the U.S. are the former stomping grounds of the very, very religious Puritans: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.

 

But life in these highly faithful states doesn’t seem to be all its cracked up to be. The most religious states in the U.S. share another trait: the highest use of anti-depressants.

 

Utah has long been the nation’s capital of happy pill popping, with its citizens twice as likely to be on anti-depressants than the general U.S. population. But the rest of the observant states aren’t far behind. Of the top-ten most religious states, nine have higher than average use of anti-depressants.

 

Some states have startlingly medicated populations.

 

In Utah, Louisiana and Arkansas--the 2nd, 4th and 5th most religious states in the Union-- nearly 20 percent of the population is on some form of anti-depressants, according to a 2006 study by one of the largest prescription companies.

 

The rest of the highly religious states aren’t far behind. Mississippi (most religious), Alabama (third most religious), South Carolina (6th), Tennessee (7th), North Carolina (8th) and Oklahoma (10th) have above average rates of anti-depressant use, with 15 to 17 percent of the citizens medicated. Of the top-ten most religious states, only one--Georgia--isn’t disproportionately addicted to anti-depressants. Nationally, the prescription rate was about 14 percent.

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[Barbarannamated]

Very interesting and thought-provoking.. I am surprised that the pattern is opposite of what i expected if usage patterns are tied to weather (lack of sunshine , long winters, rain).

 

I look forward to others' thoughts.

[alexjuice]

I'm shocked Utah isn't the most religious state in the Union.

 

I clicked through to the Forbes article but it seems like they are only showing data for the top 10 most medicated states. I'd like to see data on all fifty states so it's a shame they are not showing. Obviously, to know which are the top 10, you need data on all 50, so they hve it.

[Skyler]

I'm shocked Utah isn't the most religious state in the Union.

 

I clicked through to the Forbes article but it seems like they are only showing data for the top 10 most medicated states. I'd like to see data on all fifty states so it's a shame they are not showing. Obviously, to know which are the top 10, you need data on all 50, so they hve it.

Hi Alex, yes, I checked thru to the article you mention as well and was disappointed. I was going to post that one instead of the above, but the information was not accessible.

[Barbarannamated]

How are they defining "religious"?

[alexjuice]

Highest % of Gallup poll respondents self-identifying as "very religious"

 

http://www.gallup.com/poll/160415/mississippi-maintains-hold-religious-state.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndication

[Barbarannamated]

Highest % of Gallup poll respondents self-identifying as "very religious"

http://www.gallup.com/poll/160415/mississippi-maintains-hold-religious-state.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndication

 

Thanks. I think there's a whole other segment who are believers but avoid the term 'religious' in favor of 'spiritual'. Non-denominational, etc. I don't know how this might effect the outcome or purpose of the analysis.

[alexjuice]

Of the top 10:

 

Mississippi

Alabama

Utah

Louisiana

Arkansas

S. Carolina

Tennessee

N Carolina

Georgia

Oklahoma

 

Of the top 10 I've only been to LA. Spent a weekend or two in New Orleans before the hurricane. I can assure you that I didn't run into many 'very religious' people in N'awlins. I confess I skipped church service that Sunday.

 

The least religious states are the obvious ones for the most part. I've never been to Washington, Oregon but have spent a lot of time in New England in my life. My impression is that New Englanders are most sophisticated about their supersitions than Texans (since I live in Texas) but not that much less superstitious, though perhaps there is a larger fraction of rational people in New England or WA/OR, but this fraction exists everywhere and always represents a tiny % of the overall pop as far as I've ever observed.

[Jemima]

I'm not sure the antidepressant use has much to do with self-reports of being "religious", whatever that means. Most of these states are also among the most economically depressed.

[alexjuice]

I'm not sure the antidepressant use has much to do with self-reports of being "religious", whatever that means. Most of these states are also among the most economically depressed.

 

I think this is a good point. I can't think of any reason that being "very religious" should affect antidepressant usage rate. So I think you're right in that it's not a causal relationship.

[Altostrata]

1boringoldman has an article on this here http://1boringoldman.com/index.php/2013/02/23/better-than-a-sudoku/

[Barbarannamated]

Interesting blog discussion. I particularly appreciate "shut up pills". Hadn't heard that before.

[alexjuice]

I looked at the pictures and I don't really make the same sense of it as boring man.

 

The most prominent feature is the East|West disparity.

 

Yea, if there is a valuable takeaway from the pictures, it is not apparent to me. Except WTF with Maine?

[compsports]

Oh my gosh Skyler, I wish my mother was alive to see this.

 

No offense to anyone on this board who has strong religious beliefs but she thought it was all essentially a bunch of cr-p. She would have loved this article.

 

CS

 

When God Is Not Enough: Religious States Have Highest Rates of Anti-Depressant Use

 

AlterNet by Laura Gottesdiener February 14, 2013

 

They say that religion is the opiate of the masses, but it seems that the opiates of the religious are antidepressants.

 

A study released yesterday confirmed that Mississippi remains the most religious state in the Union, followed by a handful of its southern belt brothers: Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, as well as the Mormon stronghold of Utah. The Gallup poll showed that 58 percent of all Mississippians identify as “very religious.” The least religious states in the U.S. are the former stomping grounds of the very, very religious Puritans: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.

 

But life in these highly faithful states doesn’t seem to be all its cracked up to be. The most religious states in the U.S. share another trait: the highest use of anti-depressants.

 

Utah has long been the nation’s capital of happy pill popping, with its citizens twice as likely to be on anti-depressants than the general U.S. population. But the rest of the observant states aren’t far behind. Of the top-ten most religious states, nine have higher than average use of anti-depressants.

 

Some states have startlingly medicated populations.

 

In Utah, Louisiana and Arkansas--the 2nd, 4th and 5th most religious states in the Union-- nearly 20 percent of the population is on some form of anti-depressants, according to a 2006 study by one of the largest prescription companies.

 

The rest of the highly religious states aren’t far behind. Mississippi (most religious), Alabama (third most religious), South Carolina (6th), Tennessee (7th), North Carolina (8th) and Oklahoma (10th) have above average rates of anti-depressant use, with 15 to 17 percent of the citizens medicated. Of the top-ten most religious states, only one--Georgia--isn’t disproportionately addicted to anti-depressants. Nationally, the prescription rate was about 14 percent.

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