Big Surprise! Teen Suicide Rates Higher in Conservative Areas

A study which focused mainly on my home state of Oregon found that teens tend to attempt suicide more frequently in politically conservative areas.  Not a surprise.  What's perhaps more surprising is that the data shows that both gay and straight teens are affected regardless of whether or not they are exposed to bullying or are depressed.

"His study found a higher rate of suicide attempts even among kids who weren’t bullied or depressed when they lived in counties less supportive of gays and with relatively few Democrats. A high proportion of Democrats was a measure used as a proxy for a more liberal environment.

"The research focused only on the state of Oregon and created a social index to assess which outside factors might contribute to suicidal tendencies. Other teen health experts called it a powerful, novel way to evaluate a tragic social problem.

"'Is it surprising? No. Is it important? Yes,' said Dr. Robert Blum of Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health."

Next time you're being told that the anti-gay movement is protecting our children, this may be a salient, if extremely sad, point to bring up.  Conservatism:  killing our teens.  

[WaPo]