I didn't see the earlier post and don't know how to find it, so I'll just comment here.

It would be interesting to see if atheist suicide rates differ between places where they are surrounded by pushy religious people, and places like here (Australia) where the religious people are much fewer and not so noisy about it.

I think it's unclear that atheism directly leads to greater depression and suicide rates. It seems to me that people who are more likely to look at reality without rose-colored glasses (i.e., God and religion) are already more likely to be depressed. I think it's largely a matter of personality that leads to both depression and unbelief.

I I don't think this is based on any actual studies, but just the author's perceptions.

In Durkheim's stody of suicides, which was quite extensive and ground breaking to the point the it started Sociology as its own field of science, it was found that peopel who belong to a religion with rigid belief systems are about three times more likley to commit suicide than the general population. That has been confirmed and replicated many times over by virtually all other studies since then.

That the author puts links to catholic sites within the article make sme think there is a religious bias there, and BTW, Catholics are specifically listed in Drukheim's study as being three times more likely to commit suicide.

So, once again we have religious opinion versus actual scientific studies.

Suicide is an issue for all populations, but it is nore an issue for the rigidly religious than it is for atheists. There is no data generated through proper scientific methods that says otherwise.

I’ve dealt with depression since I was 13. I didn’t know that’s what it was until I was 21. I was married for 3 years at that point, a Sunday School teacher, had a great career, and suicidal. For the next 15 years a great deal has changed.

I still have thoughts of suicide. Every day in fact. But I won’t act on the thoughts because I don’t think there is a round two. Being a non-believer prevents me from taking my own life, no matter what my brain is telling me.

interesting to see a recovering from religion hotline COOL. the kids definitely are in the firing line as they find their way. I'll bet the suicide rates are higher amongst the young. We [ the atheists] don't really have a positive set of ideas to put forth as rational thinking can be quite harsh

knowing the fact that suicide is not a problem reset button, an athiest will never chose this as a solution l.

I wonder if suicide rates are skewed. For instance 2 of my coworkers both aging men did not commit suicide but went about other ways to promote their deaths. One was a man with heart problems who did nothing to care for himself though he knew he was dying. The other man did not take care of his diabetes in order to hasten his death. In a culture where suicide is considered a sin these 2 deaths were brought on by something other than a gun to the head though I think the intent could considered similar.

Been an outspoken atheist for a bit over 60 years and haven't once considered suicide as a solution, though I would consider euthanasia in my approaching ancienthood.