Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

British Psychologists: Abortions Cause Women Mental Health Problems
Life News ^ | 10/27/06 | Steven Ertelt

Posted on 10/27/2006 2:47:50 PM PDT by wagglebee

London, England (LifeNews.com) -- A leading group of psychologists and mental health professionals in England say that abortion causes women tremendous psychological and mental health problems. They are calling on the nation's doctor's group to revise its guidelines about what women considering an abortion are told.

They say that women need to be told of potential mental health risks like depression, suicide, and addictions to drugs or alcohol.

Their call came in a group letter to the editor published today in the London Times.

"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," they say.

"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," they say.

"This research has prompted the American Psychological Association to withdraw an official statement denying a link between abortion and psychological harm," the mental health leaders add.

The leading psychologists say that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Psychiatrists should tell women of the mental health risks an abortion poses.

"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," they write.

The group of mental health specialists includes some of the top people in the field in Britain.

Andrew Sims, past president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Patricia Casey, a professor of Psychiatry at University College in Dublin, signed the letter. Psychologists in London, Surrey, West Midlands, Hexham, and Hampshire added their names as well.

Other health professionals who signed the letter include OBGYNs Robert Balfour, Tony Lewis, and Gordon Stirratt and two general practitioner doctors.

Their call backs up other research showing abortion causing women mental health problems.

A January study by Dr. David Fergusson, a New Zealand researcher who backs abortion, found 42 percent of women who had abortions had experienced major depression within the last four years. That's almost double the rate of women who never became pregnant.

According to the study, women who have abortions were twice as likely to drink alcohol at dangerous levels and three times as likely to be addicted to illegal drugs. The risk of anxiety disorders also doubled.

His research follows a survey by professors at Bowling Green State University in 2004 who examined data on nearly 11,000 women between the ages of 15 and 34 who had experienced an unintended pregnancy.

Their survey found that women who have abortions of unexpected pregnancies were 30 percent more likely to experience subsequent problems with anxiety than those who don't have one.

Women in the study who had abortions and suffered from general anxiety disorder experienced irritability, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, a pounding or racing heart, or feelings of unreality.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: abortion; mentalhealth; prolife
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last
"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," they say.

In other words, they don't just get a "sense of relief" from having an "inconvenient, lifeless blob of cells" removed.

1 posted on 10/27/2006 2:47:53 PM PDT by wagglebee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; Mr. Silverback; narses

Pro-Life Ping.


2 posted on 10/27/2006 2:48:27 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee
British Psychologists: Abortions Cause Women Mental Health Problems


3 posted on 10/27/2006 2:50:13 PM PDT by The Blitherer (You were given the choice between war & dishonor. You chose dishonor & you will have war. -Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee
Fems will just use the same line that gays have used for years. "sick judeo-christian society MAKES us feel guilty and BAD"
4 posted on 10/27/2006 2:53:21 PM PDT by Mrs.Z (Mrs.Z)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee
Abortions Cause Women Mental Health Problems

Gee, who'd a thunk it?

5 posted on 10/27/2006 2:55:11 PM PDT by bcsco ("He who is wedded to the spirit of the age is soon a widower" – Anonymous)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee; eyespysomething
"This research has prompted the American Psychological Association to withdraw an official statement denying a link between abortion and psychological harm," the mental health leaders add.

Interesting. This must be pretty well sewn up - i's dotted, t's crossed sort of stuff, or the American Headshrinker Association would be arguing the research, I think.

I remember reading a magazine article many years ago where women who'd had abortions were interviewed, and they went into some depth about the regret and torment they felt over it many years later.

Of course, there were one or two interviewed who were adamant that it was the best decision they'd ever made, but I suspect them of being more agenda driven than honest.

6 posted on 10/27/2006 2:56:33 PM PDT by SittinYonder (Ic þæt gehate, þæt ic heonon nelle fleon fotes trym, ac wille furðor gan,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

Since when is a conscience called a mental health problem. Most anyone who committed murder would have a touch of conscience. Especially someone who murdered their own child. I would call it justice


7 posted on 10/27/2006 3:06:37 PM PDT by sgtbono2002 (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sgtbono2002
Most anyone who committed murder would have a touch of conscience.

Then there are the true psychopaths that have absolutely no remorse.

8 posted on 10/27/2006 3:23:47 PM PDT by shekkian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee
I beg to differ.

Women who murder their unborn children have psychological problems before they hire a doctor to play hit-man.

9 posted on 10/27/2006 3:35:57 PM PDT by Bon mots
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; afraidfortherepublic; Alas; al_c; american colleen; annalex; ...


10 posted on 10/27/2006 3:41:34 PM PDT by Coleus (Abortion and Euthanasia, Don't Democrats just kill ya!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Blitherer; wagglebee; Coleus

Indeed. We don't need psychologists to tell us that women are psychologically damaged after they have an abortion.


11 posted on 10/27/2006 3:48:00 PM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: wagglebee

And .. probably breast cancer!


13 posted on 10/27/2006 5:07:06 PM PDT by CyberAnt (Drive-By Media: Fake news, fake documents, fake polls)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

You don't suppose having a murder on your conscience might have something to do with it?


14 posted on 10/27/2006 5:07:16 PM PDT by ukie55
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee
It's about time the psychiatric field came out about this. It's well known by Catholic Church groups which offer retreats for women suffering the after affects of abortions. I think many people go through a "moral void" in their youth. They are sold abortions by feminists as a no risk alternative. Many years later they are horrified of what they've done. A terrible tragedy all the way around.
15 posted on 10/27/2006 5:36:36 PM PDT by crymeariver (Good news...in a way)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

But wait!!!
I thought abortion was supposed to help women get their lives back on track!
I thought all their problems were supposed to go away!


16 posted on 10/27/2006 5:39:22 PM PDT by Scotswife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scotswife

Yeah, the way they describe it, abortion should be given about as much thought as having a cavity filled.


17 posted on 10/27/2006 5:47:00 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

"Yeah, the way they describe it, abortion should be given about as much thought as having a cavity filled."

I saw it in college with girls in my dorm and later girls I roomed with in our apartment.
They got pregnant and went to the clinic for "counseling"
They were told not to worry - that the clinic would take care of their problem, and the pregnancy was still a clump of cells.
After the abortion they found they were more depressed than before.


18 posted on 10/27/2006 5:50:11 PM PDT by Scotswife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Scotswife

Planned Parenthood's ONLY "plan" is to reduce the number of babies born to zero.


19 posted on 10/27/2006 6:08:11 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

Who could have guessed?


20 posted on 10/27/2006 7:02:25 PM PDT by jwalsh07 (PUNCH foley for Joe Negron!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson