I've tried being depressed. I'm an atheist. Whenever life works out for me i'm just fine - at times very exited. When life gives me problems I can't solve I may have considerations. When someone really threatens me and I only see hardship I might get depressed. It's in my view nothing to do with religion. At some of my low point I've tried to look toward religion but it never made a difference.

I think percentages of depression exist across the board in all spectrums. Perhaps people here are more comfortable talking about it, with less of a feeling of having to hide it or feel ashamed about it than they would in other circles.

I'd say Christians have a higher rate of depression because there's more of them. I also think there may be a link between depression and Atheism because we do lack that imaginary crutch that many Christians use. I talked to many Christians who tell me their faith pulls them through bad times. As an atheist, I feel more compelled to try and change the negative, hateful, unjust, selfish, greedy, apathetic dog eat dog world. We all know how near impossible that is to get people to be more enlightened and progressive.

I guess 1 advantage that religious people have is that they probably get together & socialize more often than atheists.
man is not meant to live a solitary existence. Einstein said something to that affect.

Religious = Repressed?

I do see some here that, like the population in general, are 'depressed'. Please show any figures that back your assertion that we're any more depressed than the average & possibly just more ready to admit to our feelings/problems than the quite often repressed theists.

Perhaps the stigma of admitting having depression is greater when you have an almighty savior looking after you.
It's like saying he's not enough.

It is a question that would make a good research topic. There is definitely protection from depression when we deny more negative realities. It is proven in breast cancer survivors.

I think Atheists living in a world full of Theists is the cause of depression. I've heard this same argument about gay people having a higher suicide rate but what people fail to acknowledge is that people treat gays and atheists with contempt. It's not that atheism is depressing its a feeling of anxiety and seclusion that pushes us towards those feelings

Some people feel the need to have some supreme being to fall back on. But many others find freedom from religion quite liberating.I haven't seen any reason to believe that atheists are any more depressed or unhappy as a group than any other groups.

In the groups I hang out on here, there are actually many who are happy. These people are often very funny and clever They don't seem depressed at all

I don't believe that, at all.
Believing in "gods" is nothing more than another mental illness.
I don't believe that atheists have a higher incidence of mental illness, or depression. I think the difference is just that we tend to be more open about it. Whereas the believers just lapse into denial, and go on and on about their religious beliefs.

What are you basing this on?

No, I don't think that religion has anything to do with depression. Being delusional and oblivious to your or the worlds problems might help,mind you.
I happen to think that being enlightened and proactive ,gives me a better chance at controlling my environment and solving problems.
I like to think that I have some control of my future!

I've read that nonbelievers tend to have higher IQs than believers. I have also read that with a high IQ, comes a higher rate of depression and such. If these conditions are true then it seems to me that nonbelievers would naturally have a higher rate of depression/anxiety, etc.

I believe that there needs to be warnings before teaching someone about atheism for sure. It took me a long time to go from atheist to being ok with not being here for a reason. I didn't have anyone to talk to about this, YouTube wasn't as big as it is now so all I had were books and whatever material I found by mistake, probably a different situation now

I suspect that most belivers are not likely to admit to any "defect" as this would reflect poorly on their perfect deity.

I think you might be right, not sure if it's just connected to religion or a World view in general. We tend to see things in a more cynical way, or just less positive and hopeful about the future maybe?

I was depressed and far more mentally unstable when I was religious. After ten years in an abusive marriage, I was literally going crazy. I'm seriously depressed now but I'm on the mend. It's really hard when your whole life has been based on something that you've come to realize is not true. I have hope for the future but it's been a long hard transition that isn't over yet.

I'd love to know where you are deriving your statistical data from? Statements like that are pretty inflammatory. Maybe if you feel there is depression amongst people look at the handle average of those who are depressed. It is on average 50% given the time.of year depression goes up to season depressive disorder.... Seems like a pretty normal group if you keep the popualtiknas whole's statistical data.... I am a data analyst so I might just needed off in you but man those dealing with it are already feeling like crap ... Makes no sense to take their lack of religion as a possible reason for it. "Nearly 50 percent of all people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. It's estimated that 15 percent of the adult population will experience depression at some point in their lifetime."Aug 22, 2018 verywell mind.

No doubt @Lucignolo you are also aware of the psychological situation known as "follies au deux" that of course progresses through to "follies en masse"?
Those afflicted similar to people with cognitive dissonance cannot see their follies and will frequently also project on to others or refuse to acknowledge reality.
This was very prevalent 200+ years ago here in Australia. White migrants were criminals frequently guilty of nothing more than stealing a loaf of bread. Now think carefully "who in the general population had the greatest incumbrence in being able to sustain themselves?" - I suggest the mentally deficient and challenged. I had never seen so many large mental institutions as I did when I first came to Australia...the UK didn't need them, they had been shipped out 200 years previously. Australia is possibly still one fertile ground for religiosity not just from modern evangelicals but also the traditional pedophilic Catholics, Anglicans and Scottish "Proddy Dogs".

There is an old very practical Yorkshire saying "T'hole worlds gone mad except for me an thee, and I'm not to sure about thee!" Are you positive?

I feel like I have to be careful when I say I am an atheist as not to offend the people in my physical circles. Being an atheist in a far off suburb of NYC sometimes makes me feel like I've been shot into outer space without any equipment, like I don't really belong anywhere. So glad to find this group!

Not depressed, it makes me feel free. Free to feel how ever I want.

No, I don't think atheist equals depressed. It has to do with genetics or environment you live in. I did think about suicide when I was younger. Which was caused by religious bs and I'm glad I got over it.

I think it poses a challenge for people to deal with their mortality when they first lose their faith, but I don't think it has led to a significant increase on mental disorders.
There's a good chance that secular people are more likely to seek out therapy and counseling rather than rely on their faith or pastor to aid their mental illness leading to a higher rate of diagnosis and discussion (similar to the trend seen over the past few decades).
As for the mortality part I mentioned, here's a video highlighting a lot of the beauty that can be seen in science called "you want a physicist to speak at your funeral".

Atheist = liberated.