Could the very high rate of mental illness in Europe be related to religion decline?

[Aepervius]

I was surprised to see just how high the figures for mental illness are in Europe.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44394646/#.Tma_hI672_I

I maintain that an increase in secularism and decrease in religiosity could be a major reason.

That would be easy to demobnstrate, take a country where religiousity rise or is stable, there are plenty of them in Africa, and shows that the % of mentally ill is low. Naturally since one of the mental "illness" is anxiety, I am pretty sure the numbers will be pretty much the same.

Until you have such an evidence DOC, your "hypotheses" (scary quote) is just about as valid as mine : religion is a mental illness that the author of the article forgot to take into account.

 

[Aepervius]

On the up side, though, the figures for demonic possession is at an all time low.

ALso autodafé are an all time low in Europe.

Compared to countries where they still happen (Africa), I consider that a plus.

 

[Leif Roar]

It's worth noting that the study actually covers "brain disorders" rather than "mental illness" and thus also includes conditions such as age dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and stroke.

 

[pakeha]

I was surprised to see just how high the figures for mental illness are in Europe.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44394646/#.Tma_hI672_I

I maintain that an increase in secularism and decrease in religiosity could be a major reason.

Of course you do, DOC, of course you do.

Edited by kmortis: 

Removed personal comment

And from your link

The Bible, however, makes it plain that dinosaurs and people must have lived together. Actually, as we will soon see, there is a lot of evidence for this.

God sent two of every (seven of some) land animal into the Ark (Genesis 7:2–3; 7:8–9)—there were no exceptions. Therefore, dinosaurs must have been on the Ark. Even though there was ample room in the huge ship for large animals, perhaps God sent young adults into the Ark that still had plenty of room for them to grow.

 

[Mojo]

It's worth noting that the study actually covers "brain disorders" rather than "mental illness" and thus also includes conditions such as age dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and stroke.

It is also worth noting that DOC's link says nothing about the prevalence of religion.

 

[Evolved Wookie]

More likely it's due to the use of words like "religiosity"; I know it depresses me, but then I am just a simple Northerner.

 

[Mudcat]

More likely it's due to the use of words like "religiosity"; I know it depresses me, but then I am just a simple Northerner.

I was depressed today and didn't know it was due to this thread or even why it was precisely until this here post. But I'm just a simple Southerner.

 

[Sawbones79]

Try this: Perhaps the rise in the diagnosis of mental illness is due to the increasing sophistication and utilization of improved methodologies which allow us to recognize these disorders at an early stage, as well as a decline in the opprobrium faced by those with said disorders, which would seem to coincide with a decline in religious participation.

Which of the two statements -- yours and mine -- would be more reflective both the facts and the truth?

Highly seconded. Not only is awareness of common psychiatric illnesses such as depression on the rise, as well as the propensity to seek aid early, but neuropsychiatric disorders such as ADD is diagnosed amongst adults in increasing numbers.
Add to this that many that suffer from anxiety attacks and depression in a religious society might indentify such disorders as normal, church-sanctioned religious guilt and thus never seek the medical aid they need, I think the OP actually has a point: Psychiatric diagnoses are thankfully on the rise, due to the fog of superstitious guilt and useless help such as prayer perpetuated by religious institutions fading away thanks to increasing secularity.

 

[Evolved Wookie]

I was depressed today and didn't know it was due to this thread or even why it was precisely until this here post. But I'm just a simple Southerner.

Have a pint of whippet and a flat cap and we can drown our sorrows.

 

[Multivac]

I was surprised to see just how high the figures for mental illness are in Europe.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44394646/#.Tma_hI672_I

I maintain that an increase in secularism and decrease in religiosity could be a major reason.

No. Belief in an invisible sky daddy is not an indication of good mental health.

 

[Dave Rogers]

It seems to me that the argument everyone's trying to respond to is more rational than the one DOC actually advanced. Read the OP; he isn't claiming that there is an increase in mental illness caused by a decline in religion. As an argument, it's even less coherent than it looks.

Dave

 

[Skepticemea]

Hearing voices and believing in invisible angels isn't a sign of mental illness?

 

[nvidiot]

Not if everyone else does.

 

[Ladewig]

Highly seconded. Not only is awareness of common psychiatric illnesses such as depression on the rise, as well as the propensity to seek aid early, but neuropsychiatric disorders such as ADD is diagnosed amongst adults in increasing numbers.
Add to this that many that suffer from anxiety attacks and depression in a religious society might indentify such disorders as normal, church-sanctioned religious guilt and thus never seek the medical aid they need, I think the OP actually has a point: Psychiatric diagnoses are thankfully on the rise, due to the fog of superstitious guilt and useless help such as prayer perpetuated by religious institutions fading away thanks to increasing secularity.

I agree. Furthermore, many fundamentalist churches would look at seeking help for a mental illness as a sign of weakness - as a sign of not having enough faith in God.

 

[Sawbones79]

I agree. Furthermore, many fundamentalist churches would look at seeking help for a mental illness as a sign of weakness - as a sign of not having enough faith in God.

I've actually once met a patient who not only had depressional delusions about being "damned" (not unusual in severe cases), but actually was advised by his church elders to seek salvation, as they considered his illness an actual insight about his relation with god. I'm not a violent person, but at that point I actually entertained fantasies involving firebombing.

 

[Lothian]

Article

Europeans are plagued by mental and neurological illnesses, with ... 38 percent [/B]of the population suffering each year ..

wiki

Roman Catholicism in Europe

% of population Catholic 37.85%

Q.E.D.

 

[dafydd]

I was surprised to see just how high the figures for mental illness are in Europe.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44394646/#.Tma_hI672_I

I maintain that an increase in secularism and decrease in religiosity could be a major reason.

I just read it. What a load of bollocks. It would do these professors and doctors good to get out into the real world. 38 percent of the people I know here in Europe do not suffer from mental illness. None of my family and friends are religious,ergo they are sane. There is more insanity in One Bible Belt town than in the whole of Europe.

 

[joobz]

From the article:
"38 percent of the population suffering each year from a brain disorder such as depression, anxiety, insomnia or dementia"
That is a wide swath of disorders. I went into the report and found that the defined these 38% as anyone who was reported to have any one of the following conditions
Alcohol dependence
Opioid dependence (drug dep)
Cannabis dependence (drug dep)
Psychotic disorders
Major depression
Bipolar disorder
Panic disorder
Agoraphobia
Social phobia
Generalized anxiety dis.
Specific phobias
OCD
PTSD
Somatoform disorders
Anorexia nervosa (eating dis.)
Bulimia nervosa (eating dis.)
Borderline personality dis
Dissocial personality dis
Hyperkinetic dis./ADHD
Pervasive dev. dis./autism
Conduct disorders
Mental retardation
Insomnia
Hypersomnia
Narcolepsy
Sleep apnoea
Dementias

With the current economic climate and based upon the disorders listed, which includes drug abuse, insomnia, and anxiety, I am actually surprised the percentage was only 38%. I would have thought it higher.

Also note DOC, which you are claiming (and yes claiming- I don’t care if you use weasel words), that there is a common cause (reduced religion) for things like mental retardation, dementia(including Alzheimer’s) and sleep apnea. I don't think I need to explain the stupidity of such an assertion.

 

[Darat]

I was surprised to see just how high the figures for mental illness are in Europe.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44394646/#.Tma_hI672_I

I maintain that an increase in secularism and decrease in religiosity could be a major reason.

Why?

 

[Hoppy]

Here in the US we jail the mentally ill (40% of the incarcerated are), the rest we let live on the streets. There are plenty of "men of god" serving the prison population and the streets have an abundance of preachers. Problem solved