Jews, Judaism and Mental Health Series: Jews and Mental Illness

There is some evidence that the prevalence of affective disorders may be higher among male Jews, but little support for the assertion that Jews overall suffer from higher rates of mental illness than in the general population. Some mental illnesses like alcoholism have been found to be lower in Jews. 

We will examine the role of specific sociocultural factors – such as family size and the Holocaust – in Jewish mental health. We will also consider epidemiological work on the prevalence of mental illness in diverse Jewish populations.