Informal literature review of older LDS and mental health studies, finds that LDS are healthier.

Date
2018
Type
Academic / Technical Report
Source
Daniel K. Judd
LDS
Hearsay
Direct
Secondary
Reference

Daniel K Judd, "The relationship between religion, mental health, and the Latter-day Saints," BYU Religious Education Review, 1999, accessed September 14, 2021

Scribe/Publisher
BYU Religious Education Review
People
Daniel K. Judd
Audience
Reading Public
PDF
Transcription

As a Latter-day Saint, I have been interested to discover that the research outcomes from studies on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is remarkably positive. Nearly two-thirds of the research outcomes (71 percent) pertaining to Latter-day Saint samples indicated a positive relationship, 4 percent negative, 24 percent neutral, and 1 percent mixed. Even though the research literature on Latter-day Saints and mental health includes some negative outcomes, the overall body of research from the early part of the twentieth century to the present supports the conclusion that Latter-day Saints who live their lives consistent with the teachings of their faith experience greater well-being, increased marital and family stability, less delinquency, less depression, less anxiety, less suicide, and less substance abuse than those who do not. Professor Harold Koenig has reported similar results for other religious traditions: “Indeed, at least two-thirds of these studies report that [religious/spiritual] people experience more positive emotions (well-being, happiness, life satisfaction), fewer emotional disorders (depression, anxiety, suicide, substance abuse), more social connections (social support, marital stability, social capital), and live healthier lifestyles.”

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