No Link Between Abortion and Risk of Mental Health Problems

A new study conducted in Britain has dismissed the myth that a woman’s risk of suffering from mental problems increase if they have an abortion. Researchers from the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) analyzed data from 44 different studies which found that women have a greater risk of suffering from mental problems due to unwanted pregnancies. However the researchers said that this risk does not increase whether the women go on to give birth or have an abortion.

The researchers revealed that they had used the same research methods that they use on other studies to assess evidence on other mental health issues for NICE and found that while the risk of a woman suffering from mental problems, such as depression or anxiety, was around 12 percent, it increased by three times among women who had unwanted pregnancies.

“The evidence shows though that whether these women have abortions - or go on to give birth - their risk of having mental health problems will not increase. They carry roughly equal risks. We believe this is the most comprehensive and detailed review of the mental health outcomes of abortion to date worldwide”, the director of NCCMH, Prof Tim Kendall said.

Source-Medindia