Abortion And Miscarriage Bring Psychiatric Risk
December 22, 2008
Drug and alcohol problems and psychiatric disorders are more likely in women who
have had an abortion or miscarriage, a University of Queensland study has found.
PhD candidate Kaeleen Dingle found young women who lost a pregnancy were more
susceptible to depression, anxiety, alcohol dependency and illicit substance
abuse than women who had never been pregnant.
Ms Dingle said her study expanded on recent evidence that suggested abortions
were associated with later psychiatric disorders, by finding miscarriage held
the same risks.
"Our findings suggest that this increased risk of psychiatric problems in
some women after an abortion may be associated with pregnancy loss rather than
caused by the experience of having an induced abortion," she said.
"We found that young women having a miscarriage or an abortion were three
times more likely to experience a drug or alcohol problem during their
lifetime."
Ms Dingle said the study had implications for caregivers, who may need to give
more counselling and support to women who have lost a pregnancy.
"Also, health professionals involved in the care of young women with mental
health problems need to take good pregnancy histories, as young women can have
complex pregnancy histories involving births, miscarriages and abortions,"
she said.
Ms Dingle's PhD project is examining common mental health outcomes of young
people who enter adulthood earlier than their peers through circumstances such
as early parenting, early live-in parenting and early independent living.
Her research uses data from a long running Brisbane-based birth cohort study,
which started in 1981 and followed a group of mothers and their children over 21
years.
The University of
Queensland, Brisbane Australia
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