Study Finds 50% Increased Risk of Psychiatric Treatment Following First Abortion

A new study of Denmark’s national medical records has revealed a 50% increased risk of first-time psychiatric treatment in the year following a first abortion. The highest elevated risk, 87%, was observed for personality and behavioral disorders. This new analysis corrects a previously misleading report based on the same dataset.

The original analysis, funded by a foundation for abortion advocacy, reported no differences in psychiatric treatment rates before and after a first abortion. But it had a telling methodological error. It considered only short time frames, of one to three months. This led to a skewed interpretation of the data and essentially hid the longer term effects that are most evident after at least nine months have passed.

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According to the new study’s author, David Reardon, “The best research indicates that most women have strong enough suppression mechanisms that they can avoid thinking about their abortions for many months, or even years. Negative effects are more likely to manifest after an exhaustion of these coping mechanisms. This will frequently coincide with the anniversary date of the abortion or the birth of a later child. When mental health effects do materialize, they can come in the form of prolonged or complicated grief, guilt, substance abuse, or may simply trigger or exacerbate preexisting mental health issues.”

Reardon is the director of the Elliot Institute, an organization that advocates for women hurt by unwanted abortions, and the author of over 40 peer reviewed medical studies.The previous analysis of this Danish data has been widely used by abortion proponents as proof that the women most likely to have abortions already have higher rates of mental illness. But these new findings conclusively refute that narrative.

By reanalyzing the very same data, Reardon has shown that rates of mental health treatments seen prior to abortion do not fully explain the much higher rates of mental illness seen in the nine- and twelve-months following abortion.

These new findings are also consistent with another recent study of American women. It reported that the only group of women who, on average, claimed mental health benefits from abortion are the one-third of women who have abortions consistent with their own values and preferences.

In contrast, two thirds of women reporting a history of abortion said their abortions contributed more harm than good to their mental health. These negative effects were most strongly correlated to feelings of being pressured to abort, by others or circumstances, contrary to these women’s own preferences.

Healthcare providers are urged to recognize the importance of an informed consent process that adequately addresses the potential mental health risks associated with abortion. Incorporating discussions about the possibility of experiencing grief, guilt, and other mental health challenges may provide women with a clearer understanding of what to expect. Furthermore, it is essential to offer non-judgmental support to women experiencing post-abortion grief with referrals to therapists trained in post-abortion counseling.

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