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Abortion linked to psychiatric disorders
Anonymouse
Member Posts: 4,050
A new research study featuring numerous controls and a national data set finds a link between abortion and psychiatric disorders. The study refutes the report the American Psychiatric Association released in August claiming abortion causes no mental health issues for women.
The research team found induced abortions result in increased risks for a myriad of mental health problems ranging from anxiety to depression to substance abuse disorders.
The number of cases of mental health issues rose by as much as 17 percent in women having abortions compared to those who didn't have one and the risks of each particular mental health problem rose as much as 145% for post-abortive women.
For 12 out of 15 of the mental health outcomes examined, a decision to have an abortion resulted in an elevated risk for women.
"Abortion was found to be related to an increased risk for a variety of mental health problems (panic attacks, panic disorder, agoraphobia, PTSD, bipolar disorder, major depression with and without hierarchy), and substance abuse disorders after statistical controls were instituted for a wide range of personal, situational, and demographic variables," they wrote.
"Calculation of population attributable risks indicated that abortion was implicated in between 4.3% and 16.6% of the incidence of these disorders," they concluded.
Dr. Priscilla Coleman, a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University, led the research team that conducted the study.
Together with Catherine Coyle of Edgewood College, researcher Martha Shuping and psychologist Dr. Vincent Rue, they published their results online today at the Journal of Psychiatric Research, a well-established and respected journal.
The researchers found women who had abortions, compared with those who didn't had a 120% risk for alcohol abuse, with or without dependence, a 145% increased risk of alcohol dependence, 79% increased risk of drug abuse with or without dependence and a 126% increase in the risk of drug dependence.
For mood disorders, the experience of an abortion increased risk of developing bipolar disorder by 167%, major depression without hierarchy by 45% and major depression with hierarchy by 48%.
For anxiety disorders, there was a 111% increased risk for panic disorders, 44% increased risk for panic attacks, 59% increased risk for PTSD, 95% increased risk for agoraphobia with or without panic disorder and a 93% increased risk for agoraphobia without panic disorder.
There was no mental health outcome showing abortion to have decreased the risk or a high risk for women who did not have an abortion.
Some abortion advocates have dismissed the wealth of previous research on the link between abortion and mental health problems by saying factors unrelated to the abortion contributed to them. The scientists found abortion elevated the risks independently of those factors.
"The abortion variable made a significant independent contribution to more mental health outcomes than a history of rape, sexual abuse in childhood, physical assault in adulthood, physical abuse in childhood, and neglect which contributed to between four and ten different diagnoses," the scholars wrote.
"What is most notable in this study is that abortion contributed significant independent effects to numerous mental health problems above and beyond a variety of other traumatizing and stressful life experiences," they said.
Ultimately, the authors write that abortion is directly "responsible for more than 10% of the population incidence of alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, drug dependence, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and bipolar disorder in the population."
The team also found that spontaneous abortions, or miscarriages, had an independent effect on 4 of the 15 psychiatric illnesses examined -- indicating abortion is significantly more traumatic for women than a miscarriage.
The team relied on a nationally representative sample, the national comorbidity survey, which is widely recognized as the first nationally representative survey of mental health in the United States.
The team wrote that more research is needed to determine why having an abortion causes women to be more susceptible to the mental health problems.
Reference: Coleman PK et al., Induced abortion and anxiety, mood, and substance abuse disorders: Isolating, Journal of Psychiatric Research (2008), doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.10.009.
The research team found induced abortions result in increased risks for a myriad of mental health problems ranging from anxiety to depression to substance abuse disorders.
The number of cases of mental health issues rose by as much as 17 percent in women having abortions compared to those who didn't have one and the risks of each particular mental health problem rose as much as 145% for post-abortive women.
For 12 out of 15 of the mental health outcomes examined, a decision to have an abortion resulted in an elevated risk for women.
"Abortion was found to be related to an increased risk for a variety of mental health problems (panic attacks, panic disorder, agoraphobia, PTSD, bipolar disorder, major depression with and without hierarchy), and substance abuse disorders after statistical controls were instituted for a wide range of personal, situational, and demographic variables," they wrote.
"Calculation of population attributable risks indicated that abortion was implicated in between 4.3% and 16.6% of the incidence of these disorders," they concluded.
Dr. Priscilla Coleman, a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University, led the research team that conducted the study.
Together with Catherine Coyle of Edgewood College, researcher Martha Shuping and psychologist Dr. Vincent Rue, they published their results online today at the Journal of Psychiatric Research, a well-established and respected journal.
The researchers found women who had abortions, compared with those who didn't had a 120% risk for alcohol abuse, with or without dependence, a 145% increased risk of alcohol dependence, 79% increased risk of drug abuse with or without dependence and a 126% increase in the risk of drug dependence.
For mood disorders, the experience of an abortion increased risk of developing bipolar disorder by 167%, major depression without hierarchy by 45% and major depression with hierarchy by 48%.
For anxiety disorders, there was a 111% increased risk for panic disorders, 44% increased risk for panic attacks, 59% increased risk for PTSD, 95% increased risk for agoraphobia with or without panic disorder and a 93% increased risk for agoraphobia without panic disorder.
There was no mental health outcome showing abortion to have decreased the risk or a high risk for women who did not have an abortion.
Some abortion advocates have dismissed the wealth of previous research on the link between abortion and mental health problems by saying factors unrelated to the abortion contributed to them. The scientists found abortion elevated the risks independently of those factors.
"The abortion variable made a significant independent contribution to more mental health outcomes than a history of rape, sexual abuse in childhood, physical assault in adulthood, physical abuse in childhood, and neglect which contributed to between four and ten different diagnoses," the scholars wrote.
"What is most notable in this study is that abortion contributed significant independent effects to numerous mental health problems above and beyond a variety of other traumatizing and stressful life experiences," they said.
Ultimately, the authors write that abortion is directly "responsible for more than 10% of the population incidence of alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, drug dependence, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and bipolar disorder in the population."
The team also found that spontaneous abortions, or miscarriages, had an independent effect on 4 of the 15 psychiatric illnesses examined -- indicating abortion is significantly more traumatic for women than a miscarriage.
The team relied on a nationally representative sample, the national comorbidity survey, which is widely recognized as the first nationally representative survey of mental health in the United States.
The team wrote that more research is needed to determine why having an abortion causes women to be more susceptible to the mental health problems.
Reference: Coleman PK et al., Induced abortion and anxiety, mood, and substance abuse disorders: Isolating, Journal of Psychiatric Research (2008), doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.10.009.
Comments
quote:The team wrote that more research is needed to determine why having an abortion causes women to be more susceptible to the mental health problems.
Because joining hands with the devil and gleefully ending an innocent human life would screw up even the most peverted mind.
No abortion here.
Could it instead be that those inclined to make such a choice were more prone to developing these mental conditions in the first place?
. People in their right mine, don't kill
Zulu, do you wish your mom has an abortion, instead of having you???
No, I don't wish my mom had a abortion instead of me but I would like her to have a choice if she were rapped by some maggot.
I married for the sake of a unexpected pregnancy...now my daughter is in college. I'm not for it but feel like the woman involved should be able to make her choice.
Many people will say 'tough she get what she deserves'. That's some good tough talk, I have no doubt. If you respect human life as much as you claim to, then how can you be so callous to life at the very same time? As long as it goes against what you believe, then cruelty is A-OK. I call that a double standard. The religious among us may recognize the passage 'vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord', so if religion is your angle, I can't agree either. If abortions are the reality and will be performed- and I say they are the very clear reality- then I say they must be done safely and properly. The question of how anybody feels about it is immaterial in my opinion- the reality is that they will be done whether anyone here agrees with them or not, right wrong or indifferent.
When I discuss this, people want too dictate right or wrong as if that is the reality of the whole issue
It's not. The reality is that abortions are going to take place, illegal, or not. And that knowledge is what I base my opinion on. We can argue morality and legality all day but that doesn't change the fact of abortions being performed
If I can't change a thing, I deal with what I have to work with
I'm with Zulu.....it should be a choice.
No, I don't wish my mom had a abortion instead of me but I would like her to have a choice if she were raped by some maggot.
I married for the sake of a unexpected pregnancy...now my daughter is in college. I'm not for it but feel like the woman involved should be able to make her choice.
+1 The young woman I'm seeing was raped when she was 16. She has never dressed like a "sister" at any time in her life. She was lucky that she didn't get pregnant as a result of it.
I'd rather see a woman violate God's rules and have an abortion done correctly and safely in a clinic or hospital than see them harm themselves getting a "back alley" abortion. Like I said, if a woman wants to put herself at risk for mental issues as a result of it, at least there's medical documentation that the abortion was done so she can get help with the aftermath.
It's actually 'on the books' that 'taking drugs' is not illegal- but the possession of them, now that's the rub
PS
"First do no harm" is, I think you'll find, not in the Hippocratic oath, actually. While it may or may not require belief in the almighty, depending on the version, I would argue that an agnostic or atheist doctor who is competent...is a competent doctor, nonetheless
i think those that preach against others about the issue should adopt children that otherwise would have been aborted before they have credibility to tell others how to live their one and only life
any takers?
quote:Originally posted by Zulu7
quote:Originally posted by rovrman
I'm with Zulu.....it should be a choice.
No, I don't wish my mom had a abortion instead of me but I would like her to have a choice if she were raped by some maggot.
I married for the sake of a unexpected pregnancy...now my daughter is in college. I'm not for it but feel like the woman involved should be able to make her choice.
+1 The young woman I'm seeing was raped when she was 16. She has never dressed like a "sister" at any time in her life. She was lucky that she didn't get pregnant as a result of it.
I'd rather see a woman violate God's rules and have an abortion done correctly and safely in a clinic or hospital than see them harm themselves getting a "back alley" abortion. Like I said, if a woman wants to put herself at risk for mental issues as a result of it, at least there's medical documentation that the abortion was done so she can get help with the aftermath.
The same applies to drug use and prostitution, as well, I assume.
Is there a line that you do draw regarding acceptable behavior, then ?
Are you familiar with the dictum, "Primum, non nocere ?"
So are you saying that had my friend gotten pregnant because she was raped should've kept the child? I wouldn't expect her, or any other woman, to keep a kid that wasn't conceived through an act of love.
..and since I don't want to take the [adoption] responsibility, I'm not going to pontificate.
Learned at an early stage to keep my mouth shut, and communicate through my actions. But hey, that's just me, and my values learned. Joe
quote:The team also found that spontaneous abortions, or miscarriages, had an independent effect on 4 of the 15 psychiatric illnesses examined -- indicating abortion is significantly more traumatic for women than a miscarriage.
quote:The team wrote that more research is needed to determine why having an abortion causes women to be more susceptible to the mental health problems.
Because joining hands with the devil and gleefully ending an innocent human life would screw up even the most peverted mind.
+1
I dont think I will comment on this post.[:D][:D][:D][:D]
...one of the smart ones....
Could it instead be that those inclined to make such a choice were more prone to developing these mental conditions in the first place?
My thoughts exactly. We are looking at a "chicken or the egg" connundrum. The "data" proves nothing, except that women who have abortions also have mental illness. Were these women prone to MH disorders prior to their procedures? Likely, otherwise they would not be placing themselves in situations where they might end up with an unwanted pregnancy.
Abortion is the choice of those prone to mental illness ?
Sure. Abortion, but also substance abuse, gambling addiction, and a miriad of other obsessive-compulsive/low impulse control choices.
The implications ARE indeed staggering.
Lets go a step further.....what if you know beyond a shadow of a doubt....the child is suffering from some unfixable terrible defect or disease? The child would suffer forever. As a man....what would you tell your wife? If you knew that the child would be born severly brain damaged or some other terrible ailment that would never allow the child to amount to anything close to a normal child. Would you keep the child on life support forever or take the child off of life support? Whats the difference...your taking a life. Most all of us here have had to make a life support decision in our lives.
Me....I'd support my wife with any decision SHE decides.
As far as adoption....my wife and I have already decided to adopt as soon as our 4 kids are out on their own. We came to this decision 8 years ago. It would make no difference about race or another country or boy or girl.
Yep, that science stuff just ain't for me.[:D]It sure isn't--after all, you believe that demons inhabit people and can be cast out. Wonder what kind of mental disorder that is. [;)]
While we're working on Utopia, chemically deactivate men and women till the age of 25 or so.
Until we can control population, abortion has to be an option available especially to the poor and very young.
The same applies to drug use and prostitution, as well, I assume. What about temple prostitutes?
May I make a comment, here, that real men do what God tells them to do. And how does one know it is a deity and not just one's own desires? Is there a document certifying such an act?
After all, G.W. Bush claims his diety told him to invade Iraq and slaughter the Iraqis. I guess the blueprint was written by your diety in 1997, using the American Enterprise Institute as the vehicle to do it. [:(]
The more horrendous the crimes, the more they are made in the name of deities.
BTW, can't tell you apart from the fanatical Muslims; they claim the same thing.
All persons here probably claim to tell the truth, too.
But all men are liars, as well.
Doesn't change the fact that real men do as God tells them.
Kind of like the categorical imperative.
You ought to do what you ought to do.
The observations that not all men are telling the truth when they say that God has instructed them are certainly accurate, and I agree.
If you hang around a bunch of whack jobs, I suggest you either relocate, or understand that this is the real nub of the matter for all men, and feigning ignorance or disinterest really doesn't absolve you of anything.
That is why we are given scripture, and instructed to learn. And are given the Spirit, so that we may.
Out of the heart proceed the issues of life.
Is that not the case ?
No, it is not the case. Out of the desire to control other men proceeds the purpose of religion and your scripture. Don't forget to give the shearers their 10%. LOL
If you never ban voluntary abortions, it will never be even close to perfect.
Why encourage the destructive behaviors of the mentally ill and recommend them to those not yet affected ?
Oh, well.
So in other words, any woman who has an abortion is mentally incompetent. According to your statement above, this means they are mentally ill
Do you feel that these women are incapable of handling other important decisions based on their derangement, or do you feel they have a specific psychosis that only pertains to this subject? Should we be identifying them and giving them a scarlet letter of some sort, in your opinion, or should they simply be removed from society and placed in institutions?
If they are mentally ill, then why do you not recommend treatment for their mental problems as a solution to this whole situation?
Also, you say if it's not banned the world can't be close to perfect. I would rather say that the desire for abortions would have to be eliminated, not make more laws about them, before the world could be closer to perfect. I don;t think that laws forbidding anything make the world a better place; I think they are attempts at fixing problems that don;t go away
The world is not black and white and neither are it's problems and situations and realities. I cannot sit back and judge people but it seems that others do not share my handicap
When men start having babies, then and only then should men tell a woman about abortion...Men and the religious are the majority of the screamers on the subject...[:(]
You are incorrect, the latest poll on abortion has 47% saying that abortion should be either totally illegal, or illegal with only a few exceptions. With 24% saying that it should be legal most of the time, and only 25% saying it should be legal all the time,another 4% are unsure. "Pro-choice" people are really pro-abortion, as one of the "choices" is abortion, they just will never admit it.
http://www.pollingreport.com/abortion.htm
And, every single woman I and my wife know is adamantly anti-abortion, and none are particularly "religious". I have several friends that got their girlfriends pregnant and not one of them ever even thought about having an abortion, every single one of them got married and are still married to this day. My wife got pregnant while we were living together, never even thought about having an abortion, just got married. That was 16 years ago.
Huh...go figger.
Brad Steele
When men start having babies, then and only then should men tell a woman about abortion...Men and the religious are the majority of the screamers on the subject...[:(]
You have effectively removed yourself from the argument with such a backwards idea.
I am however not creating a straw man argument; that would be extremely transparent under these circumstances and could fool no-one. I have no need to use sophistic tricks to make an argument, especially when it would be so obvious
I misunderstood your comments as it seemed that was a point you were making on your own. I did not see the other poster's comments and your accusations of my creating a straw man are not things you can defend
I am not dictating right or morality, so it is hard for me to easily be accused of being judgmental on this subject. You are sitting on a high horse and saying what is moral and what is not as if you have all the answers and the situations and conditions are absolutes; I do not even argue those points of right and wrong or morality based on the act of abortion. I do not contest or argue the morality of it, and I hardly even touch on the subject other than to say that
I have repeatedly said that my standpoint on the issue of abortion is not one of morality; as somebody who is so quick to trot out the sophistry angle, you should know better than to tread so close to the tactic yourself
I have said time and again that my standpoint on the subject is dealing with the reality of the situation, not high-handed morality or judgements
quote:Originally posted by Barzillia
Yep, that science stuff just ain't for me.[:D]It sure isn't--after all, you believe that demons inhabit people and can be cast out. Wonder what kind of mental disorder that is. [;)]
...one of the very worst kind.
Eliminate unwanted and fatherless children and poverty, starvation and crime will cease to be the staggering world problem it is.
While we're working on Utopia, chemically deactivate men and women till the age of 25 or so.
Until we can control population, abortion has to be an option available especially to the poor and very young.
...sounds like something Hitler might say....
When men start having babies, then and only then should men tell a woman about abortion...Men and the religious are the majority of the screamers on the subject...[:(]
You are incorrect...Women out number men in the stance against abortion.
Discard the loaded terms, and face the reality of the situation, being, of course, that you make moral judgements, every day. You are doing so in your post.
Pot? Hello. My name is Kettle, and, by the way, you're black.
You are incorrect...Women out number men in the stance against abortion.Please provide a reputable source for this comment. Thanks. [:D]
77% of Anti-abortion leaders are MEN and 100% of them will NEVER get pregnant....
Did you know that 67,000 women die from illegal abortions each year? Also, did you know that Switzerland has the lowest abortion rate in the world, and yet abortion is completely legal over there.... Why? I'll go into that later.
Less than a week ago a group came on Campus that was an Anti-Abortion awareness group and they had huge posters that had images of dead Holocust victoms hanging next to pictures of aborted babies... claiming it's the "Same thing". Flat Fact- I was ticked. I later went on to their website (Abortionno.com) And was disturbed to find videos of abortion playing on their front page. This group does not believe in Birth Control and they also believe that IVF is wrong (In Vitro Fertilization).
Okay, now the fun topic- Switzerland. Their abortion rates are 7 out of every 1000 women and in America "Each year, about two out of every 100 women aged 15-44 have an abortion; (meaning 20 out of 1000) 47% of them have had at least one previous abortion. (http://www.guttmacher.org) What's the difference you may ask? In Switzerland they are very open about the use of contraceptives. Heck, they supply it for free for the most part. Not to mention they are very open when it comes to Sex Ed. People are going to be having sex, rather you try to stop it or not, so dang it... if you don't want them to have abortions, provide contraceptives.
.... I am Pro Choice I guess you could say. I am a firm believer in Abortion staying legal. Reason being, if 67,000 women die yearly from illegal abortions... making it completely illegal will cause that number to rise at alarming rates. If these anti- abortion clinics spend half as much money on contraceptives as they did on thier little protests they might actually make a difference. Just my thought for the day.