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

[RKP5637]

http://www.alternet.org/belief/when-god-not-enough-religious-states-have-highest-rates-anti-depressant-use?akid=10056.1119768.XI5Qat&rd=1&src=newsletter794962&t=6

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.

[cbayer]

1. They also have the highest rates of poverty, poor education, lack of access to medical

care (particularly mental health treatment), and other things.

Correlation does not necessarily imply causation.

[RKP5637]

2. yep, quite true!!!