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Y Religion

Episode 87: Mental Health and Latter-day Saints (Justin Dyer)

Y Religion

BYU Religious Education

Whyreligion, Religiouseducation, Religion & Spirituality, Brighamyoung, Lds, Education, Mormon, Yreligion, Byu, Religion, Yreligionpodcast, Christianity, Churchofjesuschrist

4.81.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 September 2023

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Do members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have better, the same, or worse mental health when compared to members of other religions, or those of no religion? Despite some popular narratives, what does peer-reviewed academic research find? In this episode, professor Justin Dyer takes us into what the collective scholarly publications between 2005-2022 have to say on this important subject, and the reasons why more active Latter-day Saints tend to have better mental health.

Publications:

“Religion, Mental Health, and the Latter-Day Saints: A Review of Literature 2005–2022” (Religions, 2023)

“Perspective: What 18 years of research tells us about the mental health of Latter-day Saints” (Deseret News, 2023)

“Perspective: Faith is a factor in good mental health. Why are so many people unable to see this?” (Deseret News, 2023)

“Choosing Christ’s Light Burden” (BYU Devotional, 2023)

Click here to learn more about professor Justin Dyer

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi, Wired Religion friends, Professor Anthony Sweat here from BYU Truth History and Doctor

0:03.8

and welcome to another great episode of the Wired Religion Podcast.

0:07.8

I want to start this episode with a word that can cause problems in our quest for truth.

0:14.6

That word is the word narratives.

0:18.6

Narratives, like weeds, seem to spring up often, and if they aren't kept in check, they

0:23.2

can overtake healthy, truthful ground.

0:27.4

Researchers take root and they grow for many reasons in my opinion.

0:31.4

Who talks first or who talks the most or who talks the loudest?

0:35.8

Who has the most persuasive rhetoric?

0:38.0

Who has the best bumper sticker tagline?

0:40.5

Who is out in front the most?

0:43.1

Who has the most captivating TikTok video or the most social media followers?

0:47.3

There are many reasons why narratives get formed and take root.

0:51.0

The problem is that sometimes when prominent and persuasive narratives take root, that

0:57.0

narrative can become confused as reality, and it takes a heavy dose of factual weeding

1:03.4

to try to clear it out.

1:05.0

I've been noticed this in some instances with narratives about the Church of Jesus Christ

1:09.9

of Latter-day Saints and its members, and one in particular has to do with narratives

1:14.8

about Latter-day Saints and mental health.

1:17.7

In fact, I was recently talking with someone who just blatantly said that Latter-day Saints

1:23.1

are more depressed than other people, as though that narrative was cemented in stone.

1:28.9

I responded with something like, well, actually, I don't think the academic research supports

...

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