Most Studies Show Abortion Linked To Increased Mental Health Problems
Women Cope with Delivery of Unplanned Pregnancy
Better than Abortion
Springfield,IL (September 1, 2011) – Women who have abortions are 81 percent more likely to experience subsequent mental health problems, according to a new study published by Britain’s Royal College of Psychiatrists. The greatest increases were seen in relation to suicidal behaviors and substance abuse.
The meta-analysis examined and combined results of 22 studies published between 1995 and 2009 and included data on 877,181 women from six countries. All 22 studies revealed higher rates of mental health problems associated with abortion for at least one symptom, and many for more than one symptom.
Using a standardized statistical technique for combining the results of multiple studies, the meta-analysis revealed that women with a history of abortion face higher rates of anxiety (34 percent higher) and depression (37 percent higher), heavier alcohol use (110 percent higher) and marijuana use (230 percent higher), and higher rates of suicidal behavior (155 percent higher).
The study also found that women who delivered an unplanned pregnancy were significantly less likely to have mental health problems than similar women who aborted unplanned pregnancies. Women with a history of abortion were 55 percent more likely to have mental health problems than women who did not abort an unplanned pregnancy.
The meta-analysis was conducted by Dr. Priscilla Coleman, a research psychologist at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Coleman is the most published researcher in the field of abortion and mental health.
A statistical estimate of the overall population attributable risk revealed that up to 10 percent of mental health problems among women might be attributable to abortion.
According to Dr. David Reardon, who has published more than a dozen studies investigating abortion’s impact on women and is the director of the Elliot Institute, publication of this quantitative meta-analysis is long overdue.
“This is the first objective comparison of all the major studies,” Reardon said. “The tables demonstrate that when you put the results of all these various studies side by side in a standardized way, there is a remarkable consistency in the trend of findings. Despite the differences in study design, which have different strengths and weaknesses, the studies are all consistently pointing in the same direction.” (A video by Reardon showing the results in detail is available at YouTube.)
According to London’s The Daily Mail, “[P]ublication in the peer-reviewed British journal is a signal that the psychiatric establishment is now taking seriously the possibility that abortion is a cause of anxiety, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse and suicide.”
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Source: Coleman PK. Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009. The British Journal of Psychiatry (2011) 199, 180–186.
Links to additional news coverage:
Abortion increases risk of mental health problems, new research finds Daily Telegraph (UK)
Abortion ups risk of mental health problems Times of India
Abortion and mental health ‘linked’ The Press Association
Abortion raises risk of mental health problems by 81% as Parliament discusses … Christian Concern
Abortion Leads to Mental Illness News Tonight
Mental health link to alcohol problems Nursing in Practice
Major Study Links Suicide and Other Mental Health Problems to Abortion American Thinker
Mental health: Abortion increases risk of psychological problems Tucone
Study links abortion to mental health problems | thetelegraph.com.au Daily Telegraph, Australia
Abortion tied to sharp decline in women’s mental health – CBS News
Important Research on the Mental-Health Effects of Abortion – National Review Online
New Research Reveals Abortion Harmful to Women’s Mental Health Family Research Council
Abortion harms to women’s mental health – study Voxy
Largest ever study finds abortion increases risk of severe mental health … Life Site
Life Issues Forum: Analysis of 22 Studies Confirms: Abortion Harms Women’s Mental Health
Meta-Analysis Shows Nearly 10% of the Mental Illness experienced by women who aborted directly connected to their abortion | – National Right to Life News
Baptist Press – Study: Abortion tied to depression, suicide – News with a Christian Perspective
Abortion Causes 10% of Mental Health Problems » First Things
17 thoughts on “Most Studies Show Abortion Linked To Increased Mental Health Problems”
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I googled something similar to “effects of abortion om women” just a while ago. Seems that a great deal of what was pulled up basically indicated that some super high percentage of women do not regret or suffer harmful effects from abortion. I’m 52 now, had an abortion at 14 and again at 19. I have struggled all my adult life with addiction, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and guilt. Over the past 20 years alone, I have been through 2 post-abortion groups, spent thousands of dollars on therapists, psychiatrists, and other doctors and countless hours in therapy. I have no children; been divorced for 30 years; experience fear, anger and isolation regularly; struggle with trusting men; have been in substance abuse rehab twice; and diagnosed with TMJ, PTSD, ADHD, etc. The list goes on. These effects seem to get worse the older I get. The fathers of my two children are successful, married, and have children of their own. I wish the people at the abortion clinics would have warned me, advised me of support services, taught me that I had power to go against the wishes of my boyfriends, and let me know I truly had a choice.
Dear Lisa,
As you notice, there is a lot of propaganda out there claiming that negative feelings after abortion are rare. Most of it is based on a highly misleading study in which literally 83% of women refused to participate and dropped out, and of the remaining 17%, 95% gave a positive response to a single question: “Was the abortion right for you?”
In fact, in all studies that report on both negative and positive feelings, negative feelings are more common than positive feelings and most women have combinations of both negative and positive feelings, like loss but also relief. Perhaps most telling, the research shows that over time the negative feelings tend to grow while positive feelings diminish.
If you have not done so, please check out our page on tips and resources for healing from a past abortion.
This seems like a gross leap from correlation to causation. Why in the world would you not address the very real and probably more likely scenario, which is not that abortion is causing these complicated issues, but that these complicated issues play a HUGE role in the decision whether or not to have a child. Shame on y’all for pretending this biased tripe is science. And I’d be shocked if y’all have the gumption to leave this comment up.
Correlation supports a conclusion of causation. More importantly, there is a large body of other research supporting a conclusion of causation. Most importantly, there are a countless number of self-aware women who declare that abortion caused, contributed to, worsened or prolonged mental health problems. To dismiss all the evidence supporting their claims is to call them all liars.
Tell me why you consider your claim that the “more likely scenario” is that all the negative effects observed after abortion are due to pre-existing mental illness. Isn’t it more likely that some women are deeply affected? Especially those who feel pressured into unwanted abortions? Or perhaps, also those who go through a religious conversion from which they see their past abortions as sinful? And maybe, also those who later carry a planned child to term and look at fetal development pictures and suddenly find that the love they have for their newborn “could/should have been” there for their aborted child, and so become deeply conflicted. These are real scenarios reported by many women, including many who still remain pro-choice.
If one really looks at all the evidence, both statistical and self-report, it is shameful for pro-abortion ideologues to insist that abortion NEVER contributes to any psychological problems.
Am so grateful to have landed on this site. Av never known what causes my depressive attacks, I believe now it’s abt my multiple abortions, I know I need help n also plan to seek God more than ever before
Hi Irene,
I’m so glad you found us & apologize for not seeing your comment a couple of days ago. Please do reach out for support — you do not have to go through this alone. There are a number of groups out there that offer free, non-judgemental and confidential counseling and support. If you haven’t already found our healing page, I hope you visit there to read more about healing and contact one of the support groups that are listed.
If you need more encouragement or information, Rachel’s Vineyard is a support group that also has a lot of information on their site. This includes a Q&A page with answers from experts, personal stories from women who have found healing, and email support if you aren’t yet ready to talk to someone by phone. Or contact any of the other groups listed on the healing page … they are there to help.
If you are outside the US, you can send me an email at elliotinstitute@gmail.com and I will try to put you in touch with someone who can help.
I had an abortion in my 20’s. I’ve suffered from addiction-linked depression for years. I’ve punished myself and can’t seem to accept God’s forgiveness. I also blamed my mom, a strong Christian mother for not preventing me when I reached out to her. I’m 42 now and trying to conceive. May God have mercy and allow me to have a baby or least be able to forgive myself and mother for the decision I made hastily so many years ago.
I know my babies are in heaven and I do find comfort in the truth that our souls will meet in glory.
Hi Kristen,
I’m so glad you posted here! I’m so sorry about your experience and that you’ve had such a hard time forgiving yourself. Please know that God does forgive you and doesn’t want you to continue punishing yourself and living in pain. Yes, you will always grieve but God does want you to get better and to experience His mercy and love. Remember: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:8-12)
You can trust in His Mercy and Love because His word is true. And trust that your children are safe in His care and that He will welcome you as well someday.
One thing I would strongly encourage you to do, if you haven’t already done so, is to reach out to a counselor or support group who can help you work through your grief and pain. Sometimes if you are not allowed to really grieve your experience, or have become “stuck” in your healing, you can benefit from the support or guidance of someone who can walk with you on your journey. Visit our healing page to learn more about healing after abortion and to find a list of organizations that provide free, confidential and non-judgemental counseling and support. You can also visit the Rachel’s Vineyard site to access a Q&A on healing, read women’s personal stories and reach out for help through email if you are not ready to talk with someone on the phone. OptionLine also offers help through LiveChat or by text (text HELPLINE to 313131). If you are located outside the US or Canada, send me an email at elliotinstitute@gmail.com and I will try to put you in touch with a local help organization.
Thank you for reminding me of God’s love and grace. His word is true. Praise Him for being such a loving father and I thank you for reaching out to remind me that God keeps no record of my sins because I do fear I love Him.
Hi Kristen, I’m so glad to hear from you again. Please keep trusting in God’s love and Mercy (and, as I mentioned, don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you need it). May God bless you!
I am thankful that God has referred me to this website by one of the Pro Life Ministries Counselor in Minnesota. Now I can share this information to another family member of mine that had multiple abortions like me. We have been lately discussing this topic “What is wrong with Her, and the things that are going on with her is Anxiety, Severe Depression, and Panic Attacks, and PTSD. We tried to figure out what caused both of us to have these disturbing symptoms. I believe that Satan is the Culprit to all of these things and had no idea that Abortions plays a big part of Our symptoms. Well abortion comes from the devil so he is the main source of these terrible disturbing symptoms. God Bless and Thank You Dr. Reardon, and Dr. Coleman for taking the time out to help us know what caused us to be mentally sick! Amen.
I hope you and your family member will seek out more information about post-abortion healing services available to you.
Thank you so much for sharing, ladies. I have often wondered why studies don’t specify their results are dependent on women’s own brutal honesty about their past. I am sure the numbers would be much higher if the public new to be aware of the connection between abortion and depression, etc. If the information in these studies can be made more public, mental health professionals can be better equipped to help women who are struggling, and women who are suffering after their abortion can pin-point the problem fast, and get help! It’s an embarrassing shame the truth about the risks and long-term side-effects of abortion are muffled so abortion can stay a big, healthy, thriving industry. When it comes to abortion, women are suffering and profit is being protected, when it should be the other way around.
I’d like to see a study on postabortive women who sought counseling and withheld the fact of their abortion and then the ones who finally seek help specifically for their past abortion. For me it took 20+ years to say the words aloud. I had plenty of mental health care in that 20 years where the fact of my abortion was never mentioned so any therapy was for the most part useless.
I agree. I was in and out of counseling for years, but never mentioned my abortion or was asked about it.