By Gideon Oakes

December 18, 2007 | Happy Valley may not be so happy after all. A recent report by Mental Health America, formerly the National Mental Health Association, lists Utah as the most depressed state in the union.

According to MHA, this finding was based on four different measures of mental health, including percentage of the adult population experiencing at least one major depressive episode in the past year, percentage of the adolescent population (ages 12 to 17) experiencing at least one major depressive episode in the past year, percentage of the adult population experiencing serious psychological distress and the average number of days in the past 30 days in which the population reported that their mental health was not good. Suicide rates also played a factor in the study.

Researchers found that in Utah, 10.14 percent of adults experienced a depressive episode in the past year and 14.58 percent experienced serious psychological distress. Also, 10.14 percent of teens experienced a major depressive episode during the same time. Utahns also reported 3.27 poor mental health days in the past 30 days.

On the contrary, in South Dakota (the state with the mentally healthiest residents), only 7.31 percent experienced a depressive episode and 11.16 percent experienced severe psychological distress. Teens in South Dakota were also better off with only 7.4 percent reporting depressive episodes in the last year. The overall average of poor mental health days in past month was 2.41.

In a place where the predominant culture is centered around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a church which preaches eternal happiness and joy, what causes citizens of the Beehive State to be so depressed?

MHA's website lists five unique factors which contribute to low scores, not just in Utah, but around the nation:

• Mental health resources - On average, the higher the number of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers per capita in a state, the lower the suicide rate.
• Barriers to treatment - The lower the percentage of the population reporting that they could not obtain healthcare because of costs, the lower the suicide rate and the better the state's depression status. In addition, the lower the percentage of the population that reported unmet mental healthcare needs, the better the state's depression status.
• Mental health treatment utilization - The higher the percentage of the population receiving mental health treatment, the lower the suicide rate.
• Socioeconomic characteristics - The more educated the population and the greater the percentage with health insurance, the lower the suicide rate. The more educated the population, the better the state's depression status.
• Mental health parity - The more generous a state's mental health parity coverage, the greater the number of people in the population that receive mental health services.

Aside from these factors, some Utah residents believe the predominant culture may, in fact, be predisposed to depression from what they call an oppressive lifestyle.

Jesse Mace, Brigham City, says that members of the LDS church appear to be closed minded and sheltered. He claims this is especially true in one intimate area.

"They don't have premarital sex. That makes them grumpy," Mace said. "It also makes them get married at a younger age ­ too early in life. They don't take the time to get to know the person they're going to spend their life with. That just leads to stress and marital issues later on."

Besides social issues, Mace believes marrying young creates economic woes for new couples.

"When you get married so early, with little or no money, financial hardships are inevitable," Mace said.

Kara Bergloff, West Point, agrees with Mace's theory that church life appears to foster depression. She worries that Mormon women may not be able to experience life outside the home as much as their secular counterparts.

"It has to do with the culture. A lot of it stems around stay-at-home moms, dad's the breadwinner, have a lot of kids."

Additionally, her experience has taught her that Utahns in general spend money too frivolously and suggests this could cause stress and other mental health issues.

"At least in my neighborhood, to be 'cool,' you have to have four-wheelers, boats, big trucks and a big house," Bergloff said. "A lot of people just don't live within their financial means."

Bergloff also says working conditions in Utah are less than desirable, with most jobs falling under the blue-collar sector classification. The white-collar jobs that do exist, she says, require experience only available from out of state.

"My cousins had to file bankruptcy, which caused a hard time for them. They almost filed for divorce. Now they live in Colorado and are doing just fine," Bergloff said.

Bergloff rejects the notion that Utah's abundance of mental health issues stems from lack of public education, citing high levels of prescription drug abuse as an example.

"We do have one of the highest rates of prescription painkiller abuse in the country," Bergloff said. "People know their options, but they abuse their options as well. Anti-depressants and painkillers become an escape, a place to get away from it all."

To fully understand why Utah is on the bottom of the list, we may have to look to the top of the list for an example. Marilyn Oakes, of Keystone, S.D., doesn't know why Utahns are depressed, but offers a number of reasons why South Dakotans aren't.

"We have more freedom in this state. We have room to move around, we have very few traffic jams. If we have one, it's probably because the train's going through town," Oakes said. "Along with fewer rules and regulations, there are far fewer societal expectations."

In addition to wide open spaces, Oakes credits family support and strong work ethic for South Dakota's low number of poor mental health days.

"People work hard here. They come home tired at night and sleep well. The next day if they're able, they do it all over again," Oakes said. "Most people have family nearby for a support system. People tend to grow up and stay in the same community if at all possible."

When it comes down to it, Oakes would never label citizens of other states as "weak," but she says South Dakotans have the right stuff when it comes to being resilient.

"I think we're tougher. We don't cave and fall apart as easily. Life is hard here, so we're used to the ups and downs. And I don't think we compete with our neighbors as much as they do in other places."

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