Battling depression in Utah

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"I am in that temper that if I were under water I would scarcely kick to come to the top."

-- John Keats (1795-1821)

Apparently, Utahns share Keats' dour observation more often than any other state. We are, according to a new study released last week, the most-depressed state in America.

And while we rank worst for depression, most of our neighbors on the list are familiar: Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.

The study, by Mental Health America (formerly the National Mental Health Association) and underwritten by drug giant Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, collected vast amounts of federal health data -- primarily via the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration -- to arrive at its conclusion. While it does not point to any one thing that causes some states to have more depression, per capita, than others, it says important factors include:

* Access to mental health care.

* A shortage of psychiatrists.

Utah, the study says, ranks 44th down the list for the number of outpatient clinics and 42nd when it comes to fewest psychiatrists. Although it doesn't spell this out specifically, the report does mention the fact that most of Utah's employer-provided health insurance coverage doesn't offer much in the way of mental health coverage. That being the case, it appears the market has understandably adjusted accordingly: Since the money isn't there, we see fewer clinics and psychiatrists.

This news concerns us, obviously, because it is a human tragedy. The goal of our society is to produce happy, productive people. If more of us are depressed, it damages productivity in the workplace, and relationships at home and in the neighborhood. And higher rates of depression mean more people are likely to commit suicide -- there were 377 suicides in Utah in 2004.

It's in our collective interest to turn things around on the depression front.

In fact, state government is already working on the problem. The Legislature appropriated $2.7 million last year to pay for increased mental health spending for low-income Utahns and to study which are the most-effective measures for combating depression.

That's a start. We hope mental health officials in Utah and our neighboring states will keep a light on this dark subject and figure out why the West, especially, is beset with this problem and to discover ways of battling and/or preventing depression.

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