I recently found this article on the KSL website regarding the title of this blog. Following is a copy of the article:
ARTICLE BEGINS:
OREM — Striving for perfection may be driving some female members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to depression, one researcher says.
Utah Valley University professor Kris Doty looked at depression among LDS women, finding that "toxic perfectionism" was one major factor of depression reported by the group.
The other four factors, Doty found, were genetics, history of abuse, family relationships and feeling judged by others.
Deseret News:
UVU professor's study puts focus on LDS women and depressionLDS women in Utah are at risk for depression due to "toxic perfectionism" and a host of other cultural factors, according to a recent study presented at Utah Valley University Thursday.
Over a one-year period, Doty and her colleagues looked at clinically diagnosed depressed women who identified as LDS. Seven of the women were using multiple medications to treat their depression, 19 were on only one medication and 10 had participated in therapy.
Women in the study said the church's teachings about perfection led to painful misinterpretations wherein many women believed they could not make mistakes. This belief, Doty said, caused them to "become hyper-competitive and anxious."
At a symposium on the topic Thursday, study participants said church leaders were reminding women — especially mothers — that they are not required to be perfect.
ARTICLE ENDS
Please respond to the any of the following questions.
What are your thoughts about this article and the professors findings?
What aspects of Utah culture or LDS culture (not doctrine) do you think contributes to this finding? I make a distinction between LDS culture and doctrine because I do not believe that the doctrine itself is a contributing factor.
Do you know of individuals that fall under this professor's description?
And any other issues you would like to bring up under this topic.
Have fun blogging!!
I don't think it's all so much lds culture as much as the individual and how she interprets her life and culture. But from living in this lifestyle i definitely know that girls are competitive and maybe it's not what the girls are taught in church and at home but more the feeling that they need to compete with other mormon girls in their community who seem like they are "perfect". some girls are less competitive around other girls so that doesn't affect them as much
ReplyDeleteI personally think that these women were pressured into feeling that they had to be perfect in order to fit with the LDS culture.When someone feels that they don't fit or don't have what it takes to be considered as a member, their self-esteem goes down. As a result, they get depressed. In LDS culture, for example, is getting married and have kids. As we discussed in class, when a man or woman isn't married, and are LDS members, they are viewed funny. As a result, they feel depressed and even isolated. All in all, culture and religion can affect anyone but it is up to the person to decide how it will affect them.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the comment above, I personally feel that the LDS culture strives for perfection, but I feel that this is how every culture is. By trying very hard to fit all the expectations that the LDS church has given out, women are pushed hard to fit the part. When women get pushed to the limit,they have a hard time coping with this stress. So, we're hard on ourselves and others for it. And I don't know how some people feel, but when others don't feel good about themselves they aren't usually the happiest. On a final note, all sorts of people from every religion strive to fit the role that is asked of them. But, by doing this, I feel people stress themselves out.
ReplyDeleteI have LDS female family members who are over the age 24 and are not married. I know that they feel like they are a menus to society and feel like they are being pressured to be married. I do feel there is some sort of exception in the LDS church to be married by the age of 25 or lower. from seeing the women in my family having to cope with that exception of being married at a specific age I do see them feeling more depressed, and with less self worth or confidence. it's really sad to see them that way, they are not different people by not being married they just have not had the opportunity to be married. I wish people would understand that women may not be married because of a specific choice of their own and not because there is something wrong with them.
ReplyDelete-----Gabby Bersie
I think that the churches shouldn't be expecting so much out of these women. No one can be perfect so they shouldn't even be talking about perfection in church. Just because the lds church talks about things that supposedly you have to do to be a lds doesn't mean you have to listen if you're not comfortable with it.
ReplyDeleteI think that this happens because everyone is judging each other. Even though no one is perfect, everyone still tries to be it and if they see someone who they think is perfect. They start feeling low about themselves. I don't think it is the LDS culture that causes it. I think that every girl has this problem but it doesn't effect all of them the same way.
ReplyDeleteI think that many of the members of the church think that we always need to be happy and love everyone at all times and just try to show it, even when they aren't. so when they try to be someone they don't want to be or feel obligated to be happy that is when they get super stressed out and start to become depressed. I think people always want to show how dedicated they are to trying to be the nicest person and sometimes people many people always try to one-up the others around them, making them competitive and overwhelmed by everything the are trying to do and accomplish mainly for a social status in their neighborhood. Most of these people i think if they are depressed and have to take medication for it are obviously doing these things for the wrong reasons.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people, especially in Utah where being LDS is very common, base thier values off of other people. We are often so concered about what we think others expect us to be, causing us to feel like we have to be perfect. It isn't the doctrine of the church that causes the LDS women to feel depressed. It is their belief that they think others are judging them because they aren't living the doctrine perfectly. They are trying too hard to please the people around them, rather than striving to do their personal best. The depressed woman think that the poeple they are being judged by are perfect. But in fact, they have their own struggles. To releive their depression, they need to focus on their own improvement and not a final destination of perfection that seems to be placed on them by others.
ReplyDelete-Alexia Meyer
Everyone wants to be perfect. By wanting to be perfect, instead of looking at the things they do good i life they only focus on the bad things and theirs and everybody else's imperfection. Doing this causes depression because then you start thinking you'll never be good enough and that you're a failure and that's how i believe they're all becoming depressed. Looking at their imperfections also makes them start looking at others people's and this is were i believe judging comes in which the women also said is a reason why they're depressed. I don't think that this is the LDS culture doing this to people; i think that people just have different expectations for themselves and because they work so hard it causes their depression.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the church should expect to much from the lds women. Its not just about being perfect in the church, but what effects them to is being judge by other.those people who are judging them might be the reason why,they are being pressured in to becoming perfect.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest im not surprised to hear this. Especially in this lds culture people tend to judge others when they do something wrong. I know people that constantly feel judged when they go to church. THese people always sit in the back and try not to talk to others. They feel like they are not good enough and that kinda forces them to have a low self-esteem, which can lead to depression.
ReplyDeleteWyatt Jensen
ReplyDeleteI think that it's a misunderstanding on the womens and church's part. The church needs to desrcibe what they expect from them better. They dont excpet you to be perfect because nobody is.
Then there is the people that are judging them and they feel pressured into being perfect but when they really cant be perfect.
I think to blame the LDS culture as whole is a mistake. our society as a whole makes us strive for perfection, we see this everyday and every waking moment when we are out on the public, religion whether is lds, catholic etc has a set of rules that have to be followed its not the religion itself that cause these women to be depressed its the pressure within the walls of their minds, i think the best way to combat it is by taking a step back and anaylizng the situation with a realistic understanding that perfection will never to archived.
ReplyDeleteI feel that in this culture many people feel like they are being judged on the choices they make. I agree that it is a hard place to grow up in. But I only think it is a hard place to grow up in if you care about what everyone else thinks of you. One thing about us girls is that we all care so much about what other people think of us. Also, the way you view things is up to you. If you let people dictate your happiness then you will never be happy no matter where you live and what culture is dominate in that area. No one is perfect and you will always be judged no matter where you live. So ultimately I think that the way you see things and the way you view things will determine your happiness. Like I said, you are in control of your own happiness, not others.
ReplyDeleteIn a society where you're frowned upon if you drink coffee, have tattoos, have multiple piercings, wear in-modest clothing, or participate in activities that go against the LDS church, adds a lot of un-wanted and un-needed pressure to our lives. It's especially difficult on women. Women have strict guidelines on how they have to act, dress, and look. On top of this, they are judged by other women and peers daily. This forces them to try and reach perfection. They are so focused on becoming the woman they are taught their whole life to become and the judgement of others that they get depressed. They start to think less of themselves when they are failing on their quest to perfection. Once they become depressed it's a slippery slope that can lead to more problems. The simple solution: They need to stop living to avoid the social stigma (becoming perfect) and experience life in a way that pleases them.
ReplyDelete-Jameson
I think this article is very true. pretty much from the time of birth we are taught to grow up, get married, have kids, and raise a good family. If women are 21 and not married they may come across as "damaged goods". It is really sad how it is like that. Women feel as if they must be a certain way and if not then they have failed. I know many young women that this has been a problem for. I feel as if women did not worry so much about what OTHERS thought about them that this problem may also fall.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in the lds culture many things pertaining to the perfecting of the saints is way overly exaggerated in that people think that they are always having to be better then another person. We are told not to judge but we are also told not to affiliate with other churches. Some people mix it up thinking that they are not to be friends with people from other churches when what it is saying is that you are to not believe in what the other churches teach.
ReplyDeleteThis is very common in communities that are majorly LDS, so to be completely honest this doesn't surprise me at all. I know lots of women who are always worried about being perfect and that actually do judge others. It is sad to say the least that the LDS communities have established this culture striving for perfection. I mean the fact that they take so many depression drugs instead of just one is really sad. No wonder they call this happy valley. Also in these communities you have that one LDs mom that is just the best and is what people would consider the perfect "Mormon." So that makes other moms feel obligated to live up to her, and the sad thing is the so called perfect "Mormon" doesn't even know the effect she is having on the other moms. She is just doing what she believes.
ReplyDeleteNick Boettcher
I think Utah culture, because it is so heavily populated by LDS people, has a tendency to judge others kind of harsher than anywhere else in the USA. The "judging" is typically good intentions approached in the wrong way. By this we don't usually realize how much we are affecting the other person but simply go on our way and think nothing of it. I understand why there are many women who are depressed, and I've had my fair share of those experiences and can say that the best way to deal with those comments is to let it go (which is actually really hard to do).
ReplyDeleteI feel as though LDS women are more inclined to be clinically depressed because they have so many duties and responsibilities to their families. Ithink LDS women may not worry so much about the doctrine, but the culture and environment they choose to expose their children to. I know a few women of the LDS religion that are or have been depressed in the last few months. They feel as though the environment they raise their children in is one of the most important factors in having a family; in this world finding a healthy environment to raise children in is getting harder and harder for women to do.
ReplyDeleteI think in the LDS culture you are expected of more. Most of the LDS women I know are extremely well behaved. I think there is a lot of pressure on them. They kinda have to fit under this stereotype of being a perfect mom that bakes pies, have lots of children, and be service oriented. I feel that in this bubble of Utah County more is expected. I have lived in other States and I feel like more is expected of the LDS women living here. They are constantly being judged so I understand their depression why they might have depression
ReplyDeleteA percentage of the LDS culture misunderstands or doesn't implement the "plan of happiness” correctly (getting married and having children) and they drive themselves nuts with unnecessary perfectionism.
ReplyDeleteMother Teresa - "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." I believe at times the LDS culture is too busy judging people rather than loving them, and a life with little love can be very depressing.
man i think all these women are crazy because they probably have like 30 kids they can't keep track of and all they do is stay home clean their house, do their family chores and cook. if they had times to relax and get their minds off all these things i'm pretty sure the depression rate would be a lot lower.
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a social pressure among LDS women that they need to conform to certain standards set by the LDS church or what is perceived by certain individuals about how one should behave or conduct their life. I think some women feel like they can't measure up to the level of perfection that they want to achieve. They compare themselves to over achievers and have unrealistic expectations. In this world where women are required to wear many hats, career, children, outside activities, callings and church meetings,fitting all this in can lead to a very stressful and hectic life style.
ReplyDelete-Meg Culp
It is very understandable that a LDS women could feel this way. Sometimes they feel like since they are not living their lives perfectly,all hope is lost and they become depressed. I think that it is impossible to escape the feeling of being depressed because they are not "perfect". No matter where you go you will still feel the pressure to feel perfect. I think that some of the pressure comes from the community but also from ourselves.
ReplyDelete-shelby snelgrove
i believe that the reason this rise in depression has happened is due to the fact that most of these women have external motivators other than religion.
ReplyDelete-caleb gonzalez
I think that it is depressing to constantly be trying to be absolutely perfect, it's impossible. I feel that in the LDS culture there is a social pressure to be the "perfect mormon" happily married and always putting others before yourself. its almost expected of you and you're constantly being judged. So it doesn't really surprise me that there are a lot of women in the LDS society that are dealing with depression.
ReplyDelete-Megan Ryan
I think that because of how the LDS culture is, it makes sertain standards for the members to follow and can easily make the person feel like they aren't good enough to be a member if they aren't "following with the croud" of the rest of the women in the culture. I think because women in the LDS relegion are kind of expected to marry early and settle down and have children- the women who don't follow that exactly are looked at differently and that is what most likely leads to their self esteem dropping, then depression. So all in all I think it is just because of the culture and expectations the LDS relegion sets for women of their relegion.
ReplyDelete-Jessica Parker
Well, needless to say, this article elicited quite a bit of responses from many of you, especially my female students. I was very impressed with many of the comments that I read and I assure you that I read all of them. I think I mentioned this in class that many of your insights into this topic are well beyond what would be expected from ones as young as you. But I wasn’t surprised.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, let me restate what I said earlier regarding the difference between doctrine and culture. I don’t believe there is anything in the doctrine of the LDS faith that would be a contributing factor towards depression. Instead, I feel it is an individual’s interpretation of that doctrine (incorrectly I may add) that can lead to feelings of hopelessness and subsequently depression. The reasons why an individual may interpret doctrine that ultimately is aiming to provide hope into something that leads to despair is varied and many. Certainly the prevailing culture in this area as well as the culture in our society at large can be one of those reasons.
But regardless of the reasons why one becomes depressed our response to those that are feeling despair and hopelessness should by unmitigated. LDS doctrine teaches their members to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” Those who suffer from depression surely fall under this category. Though our culture here is not perfect, I’m grateful to say that my experience with Utah culture (I’ve live here for over 25 years) has often witnessed imperfect people answering the call to strengthen their neighbor. Of this, I am personally grateful for.
Mr. Fong