"Ray Keller" wrote in message
m...

Conservatives are mentally healthier than liberals
Ed Tom Kowalsky asks:

I've often wondered if mental illness is more common among those who self
identify as liberal than those who self identify as conservative. I suspect
the answer is a resounding "yes," but I don't know if there is solid
evidence justifying my suspicion.

I'm not familiar with the relevant science, but a bit of googling turns up
some survey results showing that Republicans are more likely than Democrats
are to describe themselves as being in good mental health. Another
commenter, JOhn, asserts that liberalism and neuroticism are correlated.
From what I'm able to gather, the evidence for that is pretty mixed, but
again, I'm really not qualified to speak on the subject.

The GSS is another natural place to turn to in seeking an answer, however,
and I am qualified enough to report what its data show! In 2006, it asked
respondents if they had ever received treatment for a mental health problem.
That's not exactly the same as asking whether or not they had ever suffered
from mental health issues--I'd guess, ceteris paribus, liberals are more
likely than conservatives are to seek out medical treatment for perceived
problems that cover all aspects of personal health, whether they be
physical, emotional, or psychological--but it's pretty close.

The question is binary, with respondents simply answering "yes" or "no". The
following table shows the percentages of people who report having received
treatment for a mental health problem at some point in their lives by
political orientation (n = 1,356):

Politics
Treated

Liberal
19.7%

Moderate
11.8%

Conservative
9.7%


So the GSS provides Ed with at least some evidence that his suspicion is
correct.

GSS variables used: MHTRTSLF, POLVIEWS(1-3)(4)(5-7)

================================================== ===================

The key thing to remember here, Ray, is that people with mental illnesses
frequently deny it and avoid doing anything about it.

In other words, the argument is stupid one cooked up to boost the ego and
self-esteem of the writer.

--
Ed Huntress