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The idea that abortion causes mental health problems in women is one of those anti-choice myths that just won’t die. Let’s hope a new mega-analysis of health studies—one which links unwanted pregnancies themselves, not terminating those pregnancies, to mental health issues—will help put an end to some of the abortion/depression misconceptions once and for all.
The analysis (conducted by Britain’s National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health) of 44 previous scientific studies found women with unplanned pregnancies do, in general, have a higher incidence of mental health problems. They’re about three times more likely to suffer from depression and/or anxiety than women in general. NCCMH director Tim Kendall noted that these women could have had mental health problems before getting pregnant, or it could be the unwanted pregnancy that’s causing issues.
“Or both explanations could be true. We can’t be absolutely sure from the studies whether that’s the case—but common sense would say it’s quite likely to be both.”
Women who have mental health issues may be more likely to make decisions leading to an unplanned pregnancy. Having an unplanned pregnancy may make a woman anxious or bummed out. This all makes sense.
But whether women with unplanned pregnancies ended up having an abortion or giving birth made no difference, the review showed.
A few months ago, a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry said women who have abortions are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, alcoholism and/or drug abuse, and one in 10 mental health problems in women could be the result of terminating a pregnancy. The problem with this study, and many previous studies linking abortion to depression or mental health issues, is that it didn’t control for women’s mental health prior to becoming pregnant or seeking an abortion.
Researchers also often fail to take the effects of unwanted pregnancy itself into account. Future research, said Kendall, should concentrate on the mental health needs associated with an unplanned pregnancy—not how such unplanned pregnancies are resolved.
Pro-life advocates are denouncing the study, but at least they’ve been forced to come up with rationale other than ‘abortion causes women mental health problems.’ Dr Peter Saunders, chief executive of the Christian Medical Fellowship, complains that “abortion does not improve mental health outcomes for women with unplanned pregnancies.” No, abortion isn’t psychotherapy, Prozac or magic. Sorry, dude. It’s also not the cause of one in 10 mental health conditions in women. If we can keep that straight for now, I’ll be satisfied.
What are your thoughts?
“will help put an end to some of the abortion/depression misconceptions once and for all.”
How adorably naive. Since when has truth been any defense against the lies of those devoted to a cause?
My thoughts exactly. Facts have never meant anything to the hardcore pro-life. I had women lie to my face in order to try and force me to keep a pregnancy I didn’t want. All the usual lies about becoming infertile *god how I wish that one were true!* or increased risk of cancer. They used a lot of religious mumbo jumbo *didn’t bother to tell them I’m an athiest* to try and guilt me, and claimed to know how I would feel. Claimed that I WOULD regret it for the rest of my life. But, I haven’t. I’d be far worse off if I had a child right now.
Okay, so… It’s likely no one will read this at this point, but I do have one question for the people who want to insist abortion does cause mental illness/lasting emotional distress. How do you explain women like me who have never felt anything but relief? How do you explain the ladies at http://www.imnotsorry.net? How do you explain the fact that women who claim their abortions caused them lasting emotional issues are ALWAYS women who have subsequently become anti-choice activists? (Yes, I know one could say that the abortion trauma caused that transition – I’m not buying it.) And why should my right to do what was the right thing for me be taken away because someone else made what may have been a poor decision for them personally?
as a woman who has had an abortion i will say that it absolutely impacted my mental health and well-being. even though i know i made the right choice it was still difficult and is emotional to this day. i don’t understand how pro-lifers see this as leverage or proof that abortion should be illegal or that it hurts women? it’s a hard topic for me, but that abortion enabled me to be the first person in my family to go to and graduate college, leave my small town, marry for love and climb up to the sort-of middle class. hard as it is, i don’t regret it. it just isn’t so black and white as ‘abortion makes people sad- outlaw abortion’ or ‘abortion gives women empowering freedom- abortions for everyone!’
Thank you for your honesty.
not at all. it is a choice that you make. and it has been proven more than just this once that it doesn’t give you any type of “mental illness” .
My thoughts are that you’re wrong.
As someone who’s seen the misery some women go through for the rest of their lives due to the regret of their decision to abort, I can say that, in many cases, abortion does raise/increase mental health risks. Not in all cases, not even in the majority; but in many cases it does. It’s wrong to claim it doesn’t. If you were really pro-choice, you wouldn’t be spreading this misinformation.
those women were more than likely already mentally unstable to begin with if that is the case. a woman with no history of mental illness can go through it, possibly mourn her loss, and come out of it just as healthy as she went into it.
Abortion war in 3…2…1..
REALLY…”women were probably unstable in the first place”???…who are you, Traci, that you can make a statement like that?