No matter how often Religion and Depression in Asian Youth – a topic that was blogged on 8Asians three years ago – is blogged about, written, or discussed, I’m not so sure we’ll come to a concrete, definitive conclusion. But that’s okay. I’ll pose the question here for discussion: Is religion really the cause of depression in Asian teens?
It breaks my heart each time I read a news article or a blog post about someone taking his/her own life. It saddens me to imagine the sadness, hopelessness and loneliness someone might have been going through as they made the heart-wrenching decision to end their own life.
Some studies are actually pointing to religion as being one of the causes of depression in Asian youth. And in some ways, I can understand why some would come to this conclusion. That said, I don’t think religion causes depression as much as I don’t think religion cures depression. When I was in high school, I struggled with bouts of depression. And even I had many thoughts about what it would be like to end my own life. (And those movies some public schools included in their curriculum about how bad suicide – among other things- was, only peeked my curiosity more.) And I actually became a Christian in high
school and got involved in a Christian church. And I remember several of my friends made fun of me for being religious. But Christianity as a religion isn’t what brought me out of my depression; it was what I gained as a Christian, a growing relationship with God and other believers who had someone perfect (Jesus) to hope in.
In some ways, I do wish there was a simple answer to what is causing so many young folks to be depressed, so much to the point of taking their own lives. Because if we had a simple answer of the cause, maybe we have the chance of coming up with a solution. But when there are so many different people, struggling with different things, and dealing with it in different ways, it’s hard to have a blanket solution and answer.
(Image credit: iccpastor)