Mental Health

Canadian authors Mota, Burnett, and Sareen affiliated with the University of Manitoba published a study entitled “Associations Between Abortion, Mental Disorders, and Suicidal Behaviour in a Nationally Representative Sample” in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 55, No 4, Aprtil 2010. The study affirms results of many previous studies on abortion and mental health. The

This review by Dr. Priscilla K. Coleman (found in The British Journal of Psychiatry (2011)199, 180–186. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.077230) offers the largest quantitative estimate of mental health risks associated with abortion available in the world literature. Calling into question the conclusions from traditional reviews, the results revealed a moderate to highly increased risk of mental health

Psychology of Abortion Studies 2002-2008

Adolescents were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their choice of abortion than adult women. Adolescents are more likely to feel pressured to abort, report being misinformed in the preabortion counseling, to report greater severity of psychological stress postabortion, and are more likely to have second-trimester abortions which carry greater postabortion psychological risks. Full

Publications concerning Women and Abortion Allanson, S., & Astbury, J. (2001). Attachment style and broken attachments: Violence, pregnancy, and abortion. Australian Journal of Psychology, 53, 146-151. Amaro H., Zuckerman B, & Cabral H. (1989). Drug use among adolescent mothers: profile of risk. Pediatrics, 84, 144-151. Barnett, W., Freudenberg, N., & Wille, R. (1992). Partnership after induced abortion:

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PRO-LIFE OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS www.aaplog.org Induced Abortion and Adverse Mental Health Effects, (includes the most recent articles) Sept 2010 “There is consensus among most social and medical science scholars that a minimum of 10 to 30% of women who abort suffer from serious, prolonged negative psychological consequences (Adler et al., 1992;