A recent study
published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, found
several links between psychiatric disorders and abortion. The study
surveyed more than 8,000 women and compared those who had previously
had an abortion to those who had never had an abortion for 15
psychiatric disorders. The study controlled for a wide range of
personal, situational, and demographic factors.
It was found that
having an abortion resulted in an elevated risk of 12 out of the 15
mental health disorders studied. Under anxiety disorders, the women
who had a previous abortion were found to have a 44% increased risk
of panic attacks, a 111% increased risk of panic disorder, and a 59%
increased risk of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
With regard to
substance abuse disorders, a 120% increased risk was found for
alcohol abuse, and a 126% increased risk for drug abuse. Past
abortions also increased the risk for mood disorders; the risk for
bipolar disorder increased by 167% and major depression by 45%-48%.
The study was led
by Dr. Priscilla Coleman, a professor at Bowling Green State
University. Dr. Coleman’s team relied on a nationally representative
sample, the national comorbidity survey, which the authors regard as
being widely recognized as the first nationally representative
survey of mental health in the United States." [1]
