http://www.medscimonit.com/medscimonit/modules.php?name=Current_Issue&d_
op=summary&id=3074

Med Sci Monit, 2003; 9(4): CR157-164

Depression Associated with Abortion and Childbirth:
a long-term analysis of the NLSY cohort

Jesse Cougle ACDEF, David Reardon ADEFG , Priscilla Coleman ACDE
........................................................................
.... Summary:
Background: Existing research pertaining to emotional reactions to
abortion is limited by:

(a) short follow up periods,
(b) the absence of information on prior psychological state, and
(c) lack of nationally representative samples.

Therefore the purpose of this study was to compare women with a
history of abortion vs. delivery relative to depression using a
nationally representative longitudinal design, which enabled
inclusion of a control for prior psychological state.

Material/Methods: The current study employed data for all women
from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) who exper-
ienced their first pregnancy event (abortion or childbirth) between
1980 and 1992 (n=1,884). Depression scores in 1992, an average of
8 years after the subjects' first pregnancy events, were compared
after controlling for age, race, marital status, divorce history,
education, income, and external locus of control scores. The latter
was used to control for pre-pregnancy psychological state. Results
were also examined separately for groups based on race, marital
status, and divorce history.

Results: After controlling for several socio-demographic factors,
women whose first pregnancies ended in abortion were 65% more likely
to score in the 'high-risk' range for clinical depression than women
whose first pregnancies resulted in a birth. Differences were greatest
among the demographic groups most likely to report an abortion.

Conclusions: Abortion may be a risk factor for subsequent depres-
sion in the period of 8 years after the pregnancy event. The higher
rates of depression identified may be due to delayed reactions,
persistence of depression, or some other common risk factor.
________________________________________________________________________
____ Papa Jack comments:
I recommend you go to the URL listed above and read the entire
report.

I fully expect the Pro-Aborts to try to demonize this report
with their usual ad hominem insults at the medical journal
orthe authors. We all know the Pro-Aborts simply will NOT
accept ANY information which might correlate a negative
result with abortion. Their consistent totally adverse
positions clearly show a biased viewpoint.

http://www.medscimonit.com/medscimonit/modules.php?name=Current_Issue&d_op=sum
mary&id=3074

Med Sci Monit, 2003; 9(4): CR157-164

Depression Associated with Abortion and Childbirth:
a long-term analysis of the NLSY cohort

Jesse Cougle ACDEF, David Reardon ADEFG , Priscilla Coleman ACDE
............................................................................
Summary:
Background: Existing research pertaining to emotional reactions to
abortion is limited by:

(a) short follow up periods,
(b) the absence of information on prior psychological state, and
(c) lack of nationally representative samples.

Therefore the purpose of this study was to compare women with a
history of abortion vs. delivery relative to depression using a
nationally representative longitudinal design, which enabled
inclusion of a control for prior psychological state.

Material/Methods: The current study employed data for all women
from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) who exper-
ienced their first pregnancy event (abortion or childbirth) between
1980 and 1992 (n=1,884). Depression scores in 1992, an average of
8 years after the subjects' first pregnancy events, were compared
after controlling for age, race, marital status, divorce history,
education, income, and external locus of control scores. The latter
was used to control for pre-pregnancy psychological state. Results
were also examined separately for groups based on race, marital
status, and divorce history.

Results: After controlling for several socio-demographic factors,
women whose first pregnancies ended in abortion were 65% more likely
to score in the 'high-risk' range for clinical depression than women
whose first pregnancies resulted in a birth. Differences were greatest
among the demographic groups most likely to report an abortion.

Conclusions: Abortion may be a risk factor for subsequent depres-
sion in the period of 8 years after the pregnancy event. The higher
rates of depression identified may be due to delayed reactions,
persistence of depression, or some other common risk factor.

http://www.medscimonit.com/medscimonit/modules.php?name=Current_Issue&d_op=summary&id=3074

Med Sci Monit, 2003; 9(4): CR157-164

Depression Associated with Abortion and Childbirth:
a long-term analysis of the NLSY cohort

Jesse Cougle ACDEF, David Reardon ADEFG , Priscilla Coleman ACDE

Material/Methods: The current study employed data for all women
from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) who exper-
ienced their first pregnancy event (abortion or childbirth) between
1980 and 1992 (n=1,884).

____________________________________________________________________________
I recommend you go to the URL listed above and read the entire
report.

I fully expect the Pro-Aborts to try to demonize this report