New Study From
Norway Substantiates Link Between Abortion and Depression
Reported August 07, 2008
Oslo, Norway (LifeNews.com) -- New research from
Norway substantiates previous studies showing a link between abortion and
mental health problems such as depression. This new research, conducted by
Dr. Willy Pedersen, was recently published in the Scandinavian Journal of
Public Health, a peer-reviewed medical journal.
The authors make the link clear in the conclusion of the abstract: "Young
adult women who undergo induced abortion may be at increased risk for
subsequent depression."
They discuss the reasons for putting together the study and say they want to
see if previous reports are accurate.
"International studies suggest an increased risk of adverse outcomes such as
depression, but many studies are weakened by poor design," they said. "The
aim of the study was to investigate whether induced abortion was a risk
factor for subsequent depression."
The Norwegian researchers studied 5,768 women between the ages of 15 and 27
years and asked then questions concerning abortion and childbirth as well as
family relationships and a number of individual characteristics, such as
schooling and occupational history and conduct problems.
The results showed, "Young women who reported having had an abortion in
their twenties were more likely to score above the cut-off point for
depression."
"In light of this finding, women who terminate a pregnancy would probably
benefit from post-abortion counseling," the authors wrote.
Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a professor of psychology at Grove City College,
responded to the new study.
"This was a longitudinal study with very high response rates at all response
times over the course of the effort (from 97% at time one to 82% at time
four)," he said.
He said the American Psychological Association is planning to issue a new
report on abortion's link to mental health issues and he said APA officials
should pay attention to this new report.
But he's concerned about the politicized nature of the
decision.
"Next week, the APA Mental Health and Abortion Task Force report is slated
to be considered by the APA Council of Representatives," he said. "If that
report adopts the findings of this and the New Zealand research reports
noted in the Pedersen article, it would represent a departure from prior APA
positions."
As the Norwegian researchers explained, other studies have shown serious
mental health concerns for a high percentage of women having abortions.
A study earlier this month in the British Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology found 30 percent of women who purchase the abortion drug
mifepristone on the Internet experience depression and negative feelings
accompanying the abortion.
The most prominent study of abortion's link to mental health issues comes
from New Zealand.
The New Zealand study found that having an abortion as a young woman raises
the risk of developing mental health problems such as depression and
anxiety.
Some 42 percent of the women who had abortions had experienced major
depression within the last four years. That's almost double the rate of
women who never became pregnant. The risk of anxiety disorders also doubled.
According to the study, women who have abortions were twice as likely to
drink alcohol at dangerous levels and three times as likely to be addicted
to illegal drugs.
David Fergusson, an abortion advocate who led the study, said the results
show access to legal abortions is not necessarily good for women. He also
said the study confirms abortions cause women mental health issues -- rather
than alleviating them as abortion advocates claim.
Meanwhile, researchers at Bowling Green State University in 2004 examined
data on nearly 11,000 women between the ages of 15 and 34 who had
experienced an unintended pregnancy.
Their survey found that women who have abortions of unexpected pregnancies
were 30 percent more likely to experience subsequent problems with anxiety
than those who don't have one.
Women in the study who had abortions and suffered from general anxiety
disorder experienced irritability, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, a pounding
or racing heart, or feelings of unreality.
