Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Largest ever study finds abortion increases risk of severe mental health problems by 81%
LifeSiteNews ^ | 9/1/11 | Thaddeus Baklinski

Posted on 09/01/2011 4:08:38 PM PDT by wagglebee

LONDON, UK, September 1, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that women who underwent an abortion experienced an 81% increased risk of mental health problems. The study also found that almost 10% of all women’s mental health problems are directly linked to abortion.

Conducted by Priscilla K. Coleman, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA, the study was based on an analysis of 22 separate studies and 36 measures of effect, that involved a total of 877,181 participants of whom 163,831 had experienced an abortion. The study took into account pre-existing mental health problems prior to the abortion.

“In order to avoid any allegations of bias,” Dr. Coleman explained, “very stringent inclusion criteria were employed. This means every strong study was included and weaker studies were excluded.

“Specifically, among the rules for inclusion were sample size of 100 or more participants, use of a comparison group, and employment of controls for variables that may confound the effects such as demographics, exposure to violence, prior history of mental health problems, etc.”

This makes Dr. Coleman’s study the most comprehensive of its kind to date.

“Given the methodological limitations of recently published qualitative reviews of abortion and mental health, a quantitative synthesis was deemed necessary to represent more accurately the published literature and to provide clarity to clinicians” Dr. Coleman stated in the report.

She said her research was focused on offering “the largest quantitative estimate of mental health risks associated with abortion available in the world literature.” This, she said, would give health care practitioners “an accurate synopsis of the best available evidence in order to provide women with valid information in order to make informed health care decisions.”

The research revealed that abortion was associated with a 34% increased risk for anxiety disorders; 37% greater risk of depression; 110% greater risk of alcohol abuse and 220% greater risk of marijuana use/abuse.

Abortion was also linked with a 155% greater risk of attempting to commit suicide.

“The strongest subgroup estimates of increased risk occurred when abortion was compared with term pregnancy and when the outcomes pertained to substance use and suicidal behavior,” Dr. Coleman observed.

“Calling into question the conclusions from traditional reviews,” the report concluded, “the results revealed a moderate to highly increased risk of mental health problems after abortion. Consistent with the tenets of evidence-based medicine, this information should inform the delivery of abortion services.”

Commenting on the results of the study, Pro Life Campaign of Ireland spokesperson, Dr. Ruth Cullen said, “These findings are extremely disturbing and completely undermine pro-choice claims that abortion alleviates mental health problems. In fact, the study further proves that the opposite is the case.”

“These findings cannot be ignored,” Dr. Cullen stated. “They raise very serious issues for everyone regardless of which side they are one in the abortion debate. The best interests of women can only be served by an honest and dispassionate appraisal of the facts.”

Dr. Mary L. Davenport, president of the American Association of ProLife Obstetricians and Gynecologists and medical director of Nigeria’s Magnificat Maternal Health Project, said the study, “sheds important light on the mental health of women,” and exposes the “egregious cover-up of abortion complications” that are an aspect of “the abortion distortion.”

“This review, which is larger than any study to date, contradicts the recent and biased and less systematic review by the American Psychological Association, which fails to find a relationship between mental health problems and abortion,” Dr. Davenport wrote today in the American Thinker.

“The new meta-analysis also contradicts the stance of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which has been silent on the mental health impact of abortion in its official publications despite overwhelming evidence over the last two decades of abortion’s adverse effects.”

“By so powerfully linking abortion to mental health problems, the Coleman study helps us comprehend the magnitude of the damage done to entire nations by reckless, permissive abortion policies,” Dr. Davenport concluded.

An abstract of the study titled “Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009” with links to the full text is available on the British Journal of Psychiatry website here.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; moralabsolutes; prolife
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-157 next last
To: LilAngel

Please freepmail me the one promoting sodomy.

He must be saying different things on different threads/freepmails. Contradictory.

What the heck is his game.


101 posted on 09/02/2011 10:31:24 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

The troll already explained that he’s personally acquainted with a moderator, and will not be zotted.


102 posted on 09/02/2011 10:31:56 AM PDT by BykrBayb (Somewhere, my flower is there. ~ Þ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd; wagglebee

Are we in an alternate universe all of a sudden or what?


103 posted on 09/02/2011 10:33:07 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies]

To: little jeremiah

I got that one too. Give me a few minutes and I’ll forward it to you.


104 posted on 09/02/2011 10:34:02 AM PDT by BykrBayb (Somewhere, my flower is there. ~ Þ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 101 | View Replies]

To: BykrBayb

So on one thread I think yesterday, the one about the 15 year old child molester, he wants perverts hanged (he said “hung” but I know he meant “hanged”). And then pro-sodomy freepmails?

What kind of stupid games is he playing? just for fun? Trying to get people banned? Trolling for comments to post on other sites to show how awful Freepers/conservatives are?


105 posted on 09/02/2011 10:38:01 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 104 | View Replies]

To: BykrBayb

I missed that.


106 posted on 09/02/2011 10:38:42 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are here! What will you do?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 102 | View Replies]

To: BykrBayb
The troll already explained that he’s personally acquainted with a moderator, and will not be zotted.

He's not a friend of any moderator.

107 posted on 09/02/2011 10:44:19 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 102 | View Replies]

To: DJ MacWoW

Scroll up to post 50.

I’ll even go so far as to state that 10thTroll IS an FR moderator.


108 posted on 09/02/2011 10:44:23 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (The views and opinions expressed in this post are true and correct. Deal with it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator

Please see post 50.


109 posted on 09/02/2011 10:50:16 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are here! What will you do?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 107 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

I’ll hold judgment. All I do know is that he is not Pro-life and he is a very smug young man.


110 posted on 09/02/2011 10:51:19 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are here! What will you do?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies]

To: Admin Moderator; little jeremiah; Responsibility2nd; BykrBayb; DJ MacWoW; metmom; LilAngel

I have never claimed I know any of the moderators, Admin Moderator. They cannot produce any proof of this. I would ask these people claiming I sent them freepmails promoting sodomy to please take screenshots of said freepmails and forward them to you. Otherwise, I would appreciate it if they stopped slandering me by accusing me of promoting sodomy in private messages. I am not pro-Sodomy. I have stated in many threads that I support the right of states to enact sodomy laws. They must be getting desperate if they are having to spread such falsehoods.


111 posted on 09/02/2011 10:53:29 AM PDT by 10thAmendmentGuy ("[Drug] crusaders cannot accept the fact that they are not God." -Thomas Sowell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 107 | View Replies]

To: 10thAmendmentGuy

You say otherwise in post 50.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2772284/posts?page=50#50

10th AG: (IOW, your own words in post 50) “Are you trying to get me to lose my temper and cuss you out so I will get banned. It’s not going to happen. The moderators know who I am. They know I’m conservative, and that I’m not some liberal troll or person who’s had an account before.”

And how would they know that if you didn’t know them, or they didn’t know you?


112 posted on 09/02/2011 10:58:45 AM PDT by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 111 | View Replies]

To: 10thAmendmentGuy
 
The moderators know who I am. They know I'm conservative....

verses.
 
I have never claimed I know any of the moderators, Admin Moderator. They cannot produce any proof of this. 
 

Once again. We use you own words to define you as the liar you are.
 
 


113 posted on 09/02/2011 11:00:13 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (The views and opinions expressed in this post are true and correct. Deal with it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 111 | View Replies]

To: DJ MacWoW
From post 50:

The moderators know who I am. They know I'm conservative, and that I'm not some liberal troll or person who's had an account before.

114 posted on 09/02/2011 11:00:23 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 109 | View Replies]

To: 10thAmendmentGuy

Enough!

zot


115 posted on 09/02/2011 11:06:54 AM PDT by Jim Robinson (Rebellion is brewing!! Impeach the corrupt Marxist bastard!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: little jeremiah; Responsibility2nd; BykrBayb; DJ MacWoW; metmom; LilAngel; wagglebee

IATZ


116 posted on 09/02/2011 11:08:41 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (The views and opinions expressed in this post are true and correct. Deal with it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 115 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

About time.


117 posted on 09/02/2011 11:23:13 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 116 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Thank you!


118 posted on 09/02/2011 11:24:01 AM PDT by BykrBayb (Somewhere, my flower is there. ~ Þ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 115 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson
Thank you Jim!
119 posted on 09/02/2011 11:25:20 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 115 | View Replies]

To: TheOldLady; DJ MacWoW; BykrBayb; metmom; little jeremiah; trisham
Another troll bites the dust!
120 posted on 09/02/2011 11:29:31 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-157 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson