New Zealand Study on Mental Effects of Abortion

Medical News Today is reporting that researchers have recently completed a study to determine the mental impact on women who have had abortions.

The study found that women who had had abortions had rates of mental health problems that were about 30% higher than other women. The conditions most associated with abortion included anxiety disorders and substance use disorders. In contrast, none of the other pregnancy outcomes were consistently related to significantly increased risks of mental health problems.

However, the overall affects of abortion on mental health were found to be small. The researchers estimated that exposure to abortion accounted for between 1.5% and 5.5% of the overall rate of mental disorders in this group of women.

Writing in the British Journal of Psychiatry [the researchers] said: “Specifically, the results do not support strong pro-life positions that claim that abortion has large and devastating effects on the mental health of women. Neither do the results support any strong pro-choice positions that imply that abortion is without any mental health effects.

“In general, the results lead to a middle-of-the-road position that, for some women, abortion is likely to be a stressful and traumatic life event which places those exposed to it at a modestly increased risk of a range of common mental health problems.”

When I first read this article, the 30% rate of mental health problems caught my eye as being a rather large number. It sounds to me as if the researchers are saying that since having an abortion may not cause an actual mental disorder in a large number of women, this means the overall impact is small. I would think that a 30% higher rate of anxiety disorders and substance abuse would be something that women should be counseled about when weighing their options–especially since pro-abortion folks are constantly using the mental impact of a woman having to deliver her baby as an argument for abortion.

APA Draws Criticism With Report on Abortion

According to The Christian Post, the American Psychological Association recently release a report which found that women who have had only one abortion during their first trimester do not have a higher risk of mental health problems than those who had their babies. That report, however, is drawing much criticism from pro-life groups who begged to differ, but were ignored by the APA.

“This finding was expected given the composition of the APA task force (pro-choice in a pro-choice organization) but provides testimony to the bias of APA in not even meeting with groups who represent women who believe abortion did lead to significant mental health problems,” said Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a psychology professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. “Several groups sought to meet with APA but were rebuffed.”

Over 600 women who had an abortion asked to meet with the APA to discuss their experiences of abortion and depression. They were, however, dismissed.

“The APA brushed them off, just like it dismissed any scientific study that didn’t agree with its agenda,” said Forney, whose organization raises awareness about the harmful effects of abortion and has had 2,326 women and men share their testimonies around the world.

For an organization that is so concerned about mental health, you’d think they’d want to perform a study that takes everything into account–not just those pieces of information that support their foregone conclusion.