JW's And Mental Health

by AJN 23 Replies latest watchtower medical

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  jgnat

  Wednesday, this is what I found:

  Depression and Socioeconomic Status

  Despite inconsistencies in rates of depression found in epidemiological studies, and regardless of how depression or its symptoms are measured, most research shows an inverse relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and depression, especially among women (Kohn, Dohrenwend, and Mirotznik, 1998; Dohrenwend et al., 1992). While evidence linking social class to depression is not as clear-cut as that linking gender to depression, mixed findings may be due to the variation in the criteria used to determine SES. It can be measured by years of education, income level, occupational prestige or a combination of these factors, such as the Nam criteria, which combines household income, education and occupation into a percentile score of social prestige (Nam and Power, 1965). In a review of the literature, Link, Lennon, and Dohrenwend (1993) found that rates of depression among members of low SES groups are approximately twice those of high SES groups.

  http://www.researchforum.org/newsletter/Depression410.pdf

  Are you suggesting to get a properly objective study, we would also have to know the socioeconomic ratios amongst the Witnesses, as compared to the general population? Has it been confirmed that they are statistically poorer than average?
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  wednesday

  Socialogists say that people form lower income groups tend to be drawn to religion , to find comfort and explanation for lives misery. More educated people they say, look to psychologists , science and education for the answers.

  No, i did not mean to imply that, sorry if that is how is came out. I said lower social groups tend to turn to religion more.And yes, to get a proper study i think the social level needs to be taken into consideration(or education level)
  

  When Istudied socialogy, it showed that people in lower social groups tend to use religion as comfort more than those from higher social groups. Actually what i learned was that psychosis tneds to be higher in lower social groups, and anxiety disorders, OCD< etc tend to be higher among more educated people. After working in a Psych ER and adult psych unit for over 10 yrs i can only tell u what i saw. Depression tends to be equal aomong all social groups, were the psychoses are more likely to be diagnosed in lower social groups. (posssible prjudice? who knows) Seldom did we see a "street " person diagnosed with OCD or any type of anxiety disorder.

  I actully think anxiety disorders, tend to be pretty high among jws, probably more thna average. Look at the stress they place upon them.

  wanted to add, i think that people in lower social groups don't have as good access to qualifed docs and the ones in higher social groups tend to get better diagnosis. When i worked a a county facility that took people off the street, most had psychoses diagnosis. Now that does not mean they were all psychotic, but they did tend to get labeled as such. Some forms of depression can have a psychosis compontent and can be missed if not screened properly. Patients that have more money can get a possible more qualified doc and more time with the doc and thus perhaso a more accurate diagnosis.

  the psych ER i worked in, i was the one who generally suggested the diagnosis to the doc, who when then label the patient. I am not a psychiatric doc, i am a psychiatric nurse.
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  ESTEE

  JW's and poor mental health...Yes...I believe dubs are more often depressed than the general population ... because of the oppression they endure from their own elders and their own imposed oppressive and controlling beliefs.

  Interesting to note that the dubs are also delusional ... because they believe they are the happiest people on earth ...and yet on prozac!!!

  ESTEE
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  Pork Chop

  The Rick Ross site seems to be rather agenda driven and the study from Western Australia has been discussed in the past and is not very credible. I haven't seen anything on this issue that stands the tests of objectivity and factuality yet. Mostly you hear a lot of anecdotes. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a marginally higher incidence of mental illness among JWs compared to the general population but probably very little different than you'll find among other highly motivated or controlling religious groups. Very difficult to produce something useful in this area I think.