A report combining data from 44 separate studies shows that abortion does not raise the risk of mental health problems of women, whereas those who have an unwanted pregnancy have “a higher incidence of mental health problems in general,” the BBC reports.
Researchers from Britain’s National Collaborating Center for Mental Health said that the usual risk for “women suffering common disorders such as anxiety or depression would be about 11 or 12 percent. But the researchers said this rate was around three times higher in women with unwanted pregnancies.”
NCCMH director Tim Kendall acknowledged the possibility that those women who did have mental health problems after an unwanted pregnancy may have had those problems prior to or because of the unwanted pregnancy— either explanation could be true. Whether the pregnancy ends in abortion or birth didn’t have any bearing on increased mental problems, he said.
“I think that a lot of the findings in previous reviews an previous studies are because of the way the studies have been done. They don’t control for the fact that a number of women going into these studies have mental health problems already so it then looks as if following abortion they have raised incidence of mental health problems,” Kendall said in an accompanying video.
Public Health Minister Anne Milton called the review important and that “What is clear is that having an unwanted pregnancy has implications for people’s mental health and well-being.”
Researchers from Britain’s National Collaborating Center for Mental Health said that the usual risk for “women suffering common disorders such as anxiety or depression would be about 11 or 12 percent. But the researchers said this rate was around three times higher in women with unwanted pregnancies.”
NCCMH director Tim Kendall acknowledged the possibility that those women who did have mental health problems after an unwanted pregnancy may have had those problems prior to or because of the unwanted pregnancy— either explanation could be true. Whether the pregnancy ends in abortion or birth didn’t have any bearing on increased mental problems, he said.
“I think that a lot of the findings in previous reviews an previous studies are because of the way the studies have been done. They don’t control for the fact that a number of women going into these studies have mental health problems already so it then looks as if following abortion they have raised incidence of mental health problems,” Kendall said in an accompanying video.
Public Health Minister Anne Milton called the review important and that “What is clear is that having an unwanted pregnancy has implications for people’s mental health and well-being.”
Comments