A young mother struggling with bulimia was asked one day by her therapist if she ever prayed.
“She lived on a small farm, had a simple life and she was a wonderful mother,” said Michael Berrett, a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders. “But she hated herself with a passion. She was throwing up five times a day.”
The woman said she did pray, and went on to list all the people and things she prayed for. The list was long, and Berrett noticed that she left herself completely off it.
“I asked her, ‘Do you ever pray for yourself?’” Berrett said. "And she said, ‘No.’”
The woman decided to give it a try, and later said that was the turning point in her recovery.
Berrett and other LDS psychologists say the relationship between spirituality and mental health is both complex and important to understand for every person’s individual well being. A person's belief system is a vital part of coping with life’s problems, and many psychologists make it a central aspect of therapy.
Religiously devout have better mental health
Scott Richards, professor of counseling psychology at Brigham Young University, said there are occasionally news reports about how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are more mentally unhealthy than other people. But, he has never seen evidence to support the claim.
Marleen Williams, a clinical professor of counseling physiology who served as president of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists, noticed a similar trend.
“You always see the stereotype about Mormon women being more depressed,” she said. “No study has ever shown Mormon women to be more depressed. In fact, spirituality is actually something that helps people.”
According to the Utah Department of Health, Utah has the highest number of antidepressants prescriptions in the country. In 2002, the Los Angeles Times published an article on this study. The article quoted several people stating that the pressure of perfection from the Mormon culture is what caused Utahns to be depressed, especially women.