The letter to the editors of the (UK, London) TimesOnLine one month ago from several physicians concerning the New Zealand report by New Zealand's Fergusson on the increased risk between abortion and depression (that article is online in pdf, here - and that issue is their free sample issue, here) was hard to find. So, once I found it, I thought I'd post it, with the link (I'll review it and the original article, later):
The Times October 27, 2006
Risks of abortion
Sir, Research published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry in January has shown that even women without past mental health problems are at risk of psychological ill-effects after abortion. Women who had had abortions had twice the level of mental health problems and three times the risk of major depressive illness as those who had given birth or never been pregnant.
This research has prompted the American Psychological Association to withdraw an official statement denying a link between abortion and psychological harm.
Since women having abortions can no longer be said to have a low risk of suffering from psychiatric conditions such as depression, doctors have a duty to advise about long-term adverse psychological consequences of abortion.
We suggest that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Psychiatrists revise their guidance, and that future abortion notifications clearly distinguish between physical and mental health grounds for abortion.
ROBERT BALFOUR
Emeritus Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Bridgend
PATRICIA CASEY
Professor of Psychiatry, University College, Dublin
MARJORY FOYLE
Consultant Psychiatrist, London
GREG GARDNER
General Practitioner, West Midlands
LIZ GUINNESS
Consultant Psychiatrist, Surrey
TONY LEWIS
Emeritus Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Bridgend
LUKE PARSONS, QC
Barrister, Inner Temple, London
EVELYN SHARPE
Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry
ANDREW SIMS
Past President Royal College of Psychiatrists
PAM SIMS
Consultant Gynaecologist, Hexham
JOAN SMITHIES
Consultant Psychiatrist, Hampshire
TREVOR STAMMERS
General Practitioner, London
GORDON STIRRAT
Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Bristol
ADRIAN TRELOAR
Consultant Psychiatrist, London
HANRI VOGELZANG
General Practitioner, London
2 comments:
"Women who had had abortions had twice the level of mental health problems and three times the risk of major depressive illness as those who had given birth or never been pregnant."
Interesting choice of comparison. Wouldn't it be more usful to compare women who underwent abortion with those who would have but were unable, or at least to compara women who underwent abortion with those who became pregnent unintentionally but still gave birth?
When comparing women who undergo abortion with just women who give birth... its effectively comparing a group of women with almost entirely unwanted pregnencies to a group of women with mostly deliberate pregnency. Of course the first group will appear worse - but correlation is not causation.
The cohort is what it is - a longitudinal study of 1000+ children born in one year in New Zealand. The researchers were not looking for abortion vs. depression. Perhaps they'll go back and ask more questions.
The comparisons were three way abortion, birth, never pregnant.
The women who come in for abortion are the women who need the information, not the women who do not come in. Their physicians need to be aware of the risks, also.
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