Women who have abortion ‘at higher risk of depression’

The Daily Telegraph – Nov. 2, 2009
By Alastair Jamieson

Women who have an abortion can be at increased risk of anxiety and depression, according to the results of a study published today. Researchers at University of Otago, New Zealand, who studied more than 500 women, concluded that abortion “leads to significant distress in some” and that those reporting adverse reactions were up to 80% more likely to have mental health problems. The study, which is published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, reported that the risk of mental illness was “proportional to the degree of distress” associated with the abortion. The researchers studied data from women who had been interviewed six times between the ages of 15 and 30, each time being asked whether they had been pregnant and, if so, what the outcome of pregnancy had been.

More than 85% of those women who had an abortion reported at least one negative emotional reaction, including sadness, guilt, regret and grief. A similar number reported at least one positive reaction, including relief, happiness and satisfaction.

The researchers found that women who reported at least one negative reaction had rates of mental health problems “approximately 1.4 to 1.8 times higher than women not exposed to abortion.” They concluded: “This evidence raises important questions about the practice of justifying termination on the grounds that this will reduce risks of mental health problems in women having unwanted pregnancy. The findings suggest that abortion may increase mental health risks among those women who find an abortion distressing.”

Public date: November 2nd, 2009
Categories: News
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