"Durkheim explores the differing suicide rates among Protestants and Catholics, arguing that stronger social control among Catholics results in lower suicide rates. According to Durkheim, Catholic society has normal levels of integration while Protestant society has low levels.
This interpretation has been contested. Durkheim may have over-generalized. He took most of his data from earlier researchers, notably Adolph Wagner and Henry Morselli, but they had been more careful in generalizing from their data. Indeed, later researchers found that the Protestant–Catholic differences in suicide seemed to be limited to German-speaking Europe, thus suggesting a need to account for other contributing factors."
Interesting, I'm from a catholic country and my characterisation of those two religions is basically opposite. Chill and rules-skirting catholics (Poles, Italians) vs uptight and law-abiding protestants (Englishmen, Scandinavians etc.).
I would argue that strict norms - if they don't come into contradiction with what is natural and proven in time as beneficial - might imply more freedom than some kinds of "freedoms" or "rights" imposed by force if those "freedoms" or "rights" come into contradiction with the natural way societies and civilizations evolved.
Émile Durkheim basically introduced the discipline of sociology with his study of suicide. He found that the ratio of suicide was higher among protestants than among catholics, and concluded that it was because they were less embedded in strict norms, and freer to do whatever they pleased, compared to the stronger social control among catholics. So, freedom turned out to be not necessarily a good thing.
(He also found that suicide is higher in times of peace than in war.)
Not sure how the theory held up, and what modern sociologists say about it. But that result stuck in my head, and it aligns with your experience and the article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_(Durkheim_book)