Abortion and mental health: findings from The National Comorbidity Survey-Replication.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine whether a first abortion increases risk of mental health disorders compared with a first childbirth with and without considering prepregnancy mental health and adverse exposures, childhood economic status, miscarriage history, age at first abortion or childbirth, and race or ethnicity.

Methods

A cohort study compared rates of mental disorders (anxiety, mood, impulse-control, substance use, eating disorders, and suicidal ideation) among 259 women postabortion and 677 women postchildbirth aged 18-42 years at the time of interview from The National Comorbidity Survey-Replication.

Results

The percentage of women with no, one, two, and three or more mental health disorders before their first abortion was 37.8%, 19.7%, 15.2%, and 27.3% and before their

SUBMITTER: Steinberg JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3929105 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature