Utah's Depression a Mystery

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) A new study ranks Utah the gloomiest state in the country with ten percent of adults and teens reporting a major depressive episode in the past year. That information surprises psychiatrist Ted Wander, but:

"Because in general depression is fairly easy to diagnose, the treatments are well-established and this is a population that's well education and fairly well insured," says Wander. "So the things that should lead to good access to care and good outcomes are in place, and yet they're not."

That makes Utah's high rates of depression a mystery, says Dr. Wander, who is a spokesman for the Utah Psychiatric Association. Furthermore, depression data from the report published by Mental Health America coincides with high rates of suicide in Utah and the Intermountain West, adds Wander. Some have speculated that LDS Church members may experience more depression, but Wander says research doesn't bear that out. So what is the answer?

"The authors of the study were clear one of the things they wanted to do was create exactly this conversation about what's going on with depression and depression treatment," says Wander. "It's a highly-treatable illness and it's highly prevalent."

Authors of the Mental Health America study say Utah's high rates of depression may also be linked to the relatively few employer-provided insurance plans that offer any mental health coverage at all.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW