I certainly believe so and have many in the congregation with mental disorders that were undiagnosed. I grew up in that religion and I saw so many children confused, tormeted, repression, acting out, everything you can imagine. I remember possibly ten years ago coming across a few studies on the high rate of mental illness in the Jehovah's Witness faith and Catholicism. It was so interesting to read. I believe it was in the journal of psychology when I was doing some graduate work and came across it just out of interest.
The repression, the warped sense of self, the warped sense of sexuality, the control, the rigid lines, and everything else that people have commented on is very true.
And can we talk about the obsession with "demons"? Everything either has a demon, was a demon, or is was demonized. Heck, even after left the religion, it took a good three years before I wasn't terrorized with Armeggedon nightmares. Imagine, anyone from birth having to deal with this nonsense. How can your sense of reality not be a little skewed?
Just a personal story, I have a cousin who is also my age, she's older than me by a few months. Her father is a PO and has been one since I can remember. My aunt is a regular pioneer and has been one since I can remember and growing up, she suffered through some very sad things. The first thing I remember is that her father simply forbid her to wear shorts, not even the longer kind in the summer. I remember going to the beach or going to the playground or an amusement park and her absolutely crying because it was so hot, and she couldn't wear shorts. She got into big trouble for lying because she was in a school play and her parents would have raised heck if they knew, but she just wanted to be involved. She practiced and praticed for the play and when she was supposed to be in it, she lied and told the school our grandmother died. Well that lead to a big issue and she was put on some kind of private reprimand.
To this day, she has issues. Anti-social, weird, bitter in a lot of ways, now this I just hear down the family communication lane, as she is one of the few family members I have that wouldn't speak to me if I was laying in the street and needed medical attention. But she is so unhappy, this I know for a fact.
So from my personal experience and I can spend all day and night on this topic alone, there are so many young children and teenagers that I know of personally who have suffered so much because of the practices of the JW and the interpretations in the KH.
