Study Shows Link between Abortion and Mental Disorders

By Liz Townsend

Women who have had abortions are more likely to have substance abuse disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and suicidal thoughts or actions, according to a study published in the April issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

Researchers at the University of Manitoba analyzed the results of interviews conducted in the United States between 2001 and 2003. Women were asked about their history of abortion and about various mental disorders. The interviewers evaluated these problems based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), which provides standard classifications of disorders used by the mental-health profession.

"To our knowledge, our study was one of the first to examine associations between abortion and a wide range of individual mental disorders using DSM-IV criteria in a large, nationally representative sample of adult women," the authors wrote.

"Previously, much of the literature has relied on women's self-reporting of symptomatology."

The authors found the strongest association between previous abortions and substance abuse, although they could not prove a causal relationship. But women who aborted a child were 3.8 times more likely to abuse or be dependent on drugs, the Toronto Sun reported.

Other disorders found to be more prevalent in aborting women were major depression, severe anxiety, social phobia, and suicidal ideation or attempts.

The authors made several recommendations to health professionals as a result of the study. "Some women with a history of abortion develop emotional problems, and clinicians should assess for mental disorders, particularly SUDs [substance use disorders], in these women," they wrote. "Clinicians should screen for a history of abortion in women presenting with mood, anxiety, or SUDs as a potential contributing factor."