10 Most Depressing States

Health.com ^ | 15 November 2011 | Staff

[bjorn14]

States of mind

On its own, where you live isn't enough to make you depressed. Personal circumstances and genes also play an important role in mental health, so an area that feels like a downer to one person may be home sweet home to another.

That said, mental distress is unusually and persistently common in some states, whether due to economic troubles, lack of access to health care, or other factors.

Using data from federal health agencies, Health.com has identified the 10 states with the highest rates of depression, psychological distress, and other indicators of poor mental health. Here they are, in alphabetical order [for those of you too lazy to click through the slides]:

[Dr. Sivana]

It looks like most of these states are near the same east west latitude, all touching each other, except Nevada. Strange. Maybe people like mountains or oceans around.

[Darren McCarty]

Nevada is NOT a depressing state.

Vegas wasn't built on winners.

[Joe 6-pack]

Interesting that so many of these are landlocked states. 22 Of our states have ocean/gulf coastlines, with an additional seven on the great lakes. Only 3 of these 10 (30%) (MS, IN MI) fall into either category and of those MS and IN have only very limited coastal or lake access.

Just a personal theory; I know for me, time on or near the water tends to relieve a lot of stress.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississipi, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma,Tennessee and West Virginia

I see the writer has never driven the PA Turnpike.

[Joe 6-pack]

Agree...see my #23.

[tnlibertarian]

Tennessee? LOL...that’s why so many people are moving INTO the state...it’s a depressing sh*thole...LOLOL!

It sucks. It's horrible. It's ugly and depressing. No one should come here. They should all stay away. Especially liberal Yankees.

[dfwgator]

Tennessee? LOL...that’s why so many people are moving INTO the state...it’s a depressing sh*thole...LOLOL!

With as bad as their football team has been, it's easy to see why they're depressed.

[Huck]

TN??? You’ve got to be kidding.

[who knows what evil?]

Especially liberal Yankees.

Bump that!

[Allegra]

That one surprised me, too. Tennessee doesn’t strike me as what would be a “depressing” state.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

Best post on the thread by a mile.

[dennisw]

Maybe these landlocked states are short on iodine which can drag down the thyroid. Hypothyroidism makes for mental depression

[OrioleFan]

Maybe Ohio should be on the list after the vote on Issue 2.

[backwoods-engineer]

Just a personal theory; I know for me, time on or near the water tends to relieve a lot of stress.

Doesn't fit for Oklahoma. 101,000-acre Lake Texhoma and hundreds more artificial lakes give Oklahoma more shoreline than any other non-coastal state. Or so I have been told.

[who knows what evil?]

That one surprised me, too. Tennessee doesn’t strike me as what would be a “depressing” state.

Best years of my life were spent in Tennessee...

[FatherofFive]

“Get off me Daddy, you’re crushin’ my smokes!”

Then the dad took his daughter to the doctor. "Doc, she needs to be fitted for a diaphram." The doc replies, "She is 13 years old! Is she sexually active?" And the dad responds, "Nope. She just lies there like her mother does."

[Dr. Sivana]

[Tennessee:] No one should come here. They should all stay away. Especially liberal Yankees. When I went tdown to Chatanooga for a network install, I was told that someone like me (born in CT, moved to IL) would be classified as a "Yankee". If I stayed, I would become a "Damn Yankee".

[PfromHoGro]

I get Indiana, routinely driving I-65 north of Indy would make anyone depressed. Get right if you’re not passing you imbeciles!!! Cars 65, trucks 55, yeah, how’s that working for you?

Sorry... I have some issues.

[tnlibertarian]

If I stayed, I would become a "Damn Yankee".

While that's true, exceptions are made for Freepers. We just gotta learn you how to talk good.

[bigbob]

This, despite many having a moderate climate, right-to-work status, and generally considered more “business friendly” than the Great White North...Flyover Country, or the east and west coast population centers.