I was working on making this readable and the original thread closed.

A BYU article touted a study done by its researchers showing that church activity is protective for young Utah males in regard to suicide (1991-1995). The study, “Suicide Rates and Religious Commitment in Young Adult Males in Utah” Table 2, American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 155, No. 5 : 413-419, indeed shows that young Mormon males who are active in the Mormon Church have a lower suicide than average.

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/155/5/413.abstract

As is so often the case when the Lord’s University announces good news for its sponsoring church, there was a darker side left unsaid. When I read the study, I noted the researchers also provided data showing higher than average suicide rates for Utah less-active and non-Mormon males in the same age ranges.

To see if the higher suicide rates are a regional phenomenon, as asserted by apologists, or something peculiar to Utah, I used the Center for Disease Control WISQARS data to compare the study data with the suicide rates of males in the same age range during the same years in the surrounding Mountain States Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

What I found was not only do non-Mormons and the less-actives in Utah kill themselves at greater rates than active Utah males in the same age ranges, but they kill themselves at significantly higher rates when compared to males in the surrounding Mountains States. It seems there is something about Utah that makes young less-active Mormon and non-Mormon males want to kill themselves.

Males 15-19 (suicides per 100,000)
US Average: 17.44
Mountain States Average: 33.09
Utah LDS Active: 17.40
Utah LDS Less Active: 57.11
Utah Nonmember: 59.69

Males 20-24 (suicides per 100, 000)
US Average: 27.69
Utah LDS Active: 11.19
Utah LDS Less Active: 58.16
Utah Nonmember: 70.12

Males 25-29 (suicides per 100, 000)
US Average: 25.70
Mountain States Average: 39.60
Utah LDS Active: 8.58
Utah LDS less active: 65.55
Utah Nonmember: 39.14

Males 30-34 (suicides per 100, 000)
US Average: 25.54
Mountain States: 38.50
Utah LDS Active: 10.85
Utah LDS Less Active: 60.56
Utah Nonmember: 42.63



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2011 12:12AM by robertb.

is 6+ times greater than for members?

Non members shouldn't be allowed to have sons in Utah. It's too dangerous for their health.

That is just appalling. What is going on???

My guess: In addition to the stress of being in their early twenties, these young men are marginalized by the larger (Mormon) culture. If you are an active Mormon male, your suicide risk is decreased, but if you are a less-active or non-Mormon male your risk is disproportionally *increased*. My opinion is Mormon culture is toxic except to those who buy into it.

I would be interested in seeing a similar study on girls in Utah. Females kill themselves at much lower rates than males, although they make more attempts. I would to see that data. The antidepressive use among Utah women indicates *something* is amiss.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2011 10:25PM by robertb.

There is no way to know that since name removal has only been made simple lately AND

Utahns do not remove their names from the rolls when they leave because that information is easily found and could effect them adversely job hunting in Utah.

Remember, the activity part was gleaned from church records--and they don't call you a nonmember until you are 110 unless you are ex'd and have your name removed.

Wonder what the suicide rate is for the excommunicated? Court of love indeed.

Thank you Robertb for this important information. Gotta get the fair and balanced news out there.

Anagrammy

Wow... thank you for the info. Good research work!
God, now *I* need antidepressants after reading that.

Sorry, posted in wrong place... moving to bottom...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2011 08:43PM by AngelCowgirl.

Those are absolutely fascinating numbers. Please follow up on this information as you are able. And if you do generate numbers for females it would make for an interesting comparison to males.

Needless to say, there are multiple factors contributing to suicides but I think your assessment about non- or less-active Mormons being marginalized is likely a good bet. Hopefully, you will have more on this later. Return and report, eh?

it is terrifying to me in its implications.

At the same time, I am gratified thinking of the resiliance of my own family living as non-mormons in that toxic environment.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2011 10:56PM by Twinker.

from a male teen relative in Utah, what he sees is that there is no middle ground. Either you are a compliant, busy, obedient Mormon or you are told by the majority of the other kids that you are a wild kid - not one of the chosen, not one of the good kids etc. According to this boy, if you aren't Mormon you are immediately classed as wild, trashy, a rebel. They are immediately judged and found wanting by the Mormon kids. He says there is no middle ground for nice, non-LDS or former LDS kids to just be with other smart, high ideal, well-behaved good kids who aren't Mormon because his school is overwhelmingly Mormon - either active Mormons or ones that are actively rebelling against Mormons. There aren't a lot of nice, normal kids like you'd find in other states.

And even if you were a nice kid that ran with a good group, you won't be thought of as a good kid by the Mormons no matter what the do, unless they knuckle under and become a Mormon as well. Bishop Jackwagon has, more than once, told the youth in our ward that they are the good, the elite, the chosen because they are at church when others aren't. Real message - you are good, people who aren't at church are not.

If much of your peer group sees you as unworthy and you are a teen, that's pretty gruesome.

Well put as usual, CA Girl. I had teens going to East High and elementary school children at home. It was a tough decision to pull up stakes and move to the West Coast because I had a full ride scholarship at Westminster.

But the truth was there was no good peer group for my kids to hang with at school. And then my ten year old said to me impatiently one day,

"Why do you have to be different? Most of the world is Mormon."

There's only so much you can do within the walls of your own home. As the children grow up they need a good, accepting environment that's not cult-driven.

Anagrammy

You're assuming Mormon kids aren't "wild." Of course some of them are. Being well-behaved, etc., doesn't count for shit. You're either Mormon or you're not. That's the problem.

Think of the messages young Mormon males receive:

No Mission? Kiss off getting married to the girl you want. And plan on explaining your non-mission for the rest of your life.

On a mission, but not working hard enough? It's the unworthy Elder who loses his girl...and...in later life you will never rise about what you were in the mission field...and...someday, after death, you will have to explain why you were too lazy to knock on a good person's door who was waiting to hear the Gospel from you.

Temple married but inactive? Your wife need no longer respect you because her commitment to you is only as strong as your commitment is to the church (per temple oaths).

___________________________________________________________

The church's psychological extortion has its price, those who don't pay find little to live for in this society.

Yep. I hope the government eventually recognizes the damage religion can do.

I could have easily went to an Ivy League University with my high school stats and have a prestigious career by now. Instead, I attended a pathetic church school that won't even allow me to use their credits now that I'm out and suffered major depression that lasted years after becoming disillusioned. What a waste.

Mormonism is set up to eliminate gays from society.

It would be interesting to know the breakdown by county. I am wondering if there is a difference between the areas less dominated by Mormonism and those with less percentage of mormons.

caedmon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It would be interesting to know the breakdown by
> county. I am wondering if there is a difference
> between the areas less dominated by Mormonism and
> those with less percentage of mormons.


I have thought the same thing.

And, with a big thanks to musicangelgirl on this thread: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,202485
we can now add that Utah is the MOST STRESSED STATE in the nation

Here's the Gallup poll that shows those results:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/147767/Hawaiians-Least-Stressed-Residents-Utah.aspx

I believe that when I read this study (at least I think it was this study) that their criteria for "active" Mormons was Mormons actually participating in all the Mormony things.

So the "less actives" are going to be young men who don't buy into the whole fantasy. They are likely to be rebelious, homosexual, or were never Mormon. ALL of those factors are going to greatly increase their marginalization in a place like Utah which passes laws that can hold a woman accountable for a miscarriage.

The study claiming that "active" Mormon males are less likely to commit suicide is ridiculous because of built in bias to the study demographics, in other words.

That is, if I'm remembering correctly.