Abortion Risks - User contributions [en]

Abortion as Population Control for Unwanted Groups

2009-07-13T14:16:13Z

Martha:

Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg: I Thought Roe Would Help Eradicate Unwanted Populations
[http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jul/09070901.html Lifesitenews.com] | July 9, 2009 | Kathleen Gilbert

Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 1:11:12 PM by Pope Pius XII

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg seems to have made a stunning admission in favor of cleansing America of unwanted populations by aborting them. In an interview with the New York Times, the judge said that Medicaid should cover abortions, and that she had originally expected that Roe v. Wade would facilitate such coverage in order to control the population of groups "that we don't want to have too many of."

The statement was made in the context of a discussion about the fact that abortions are not covered by Medicaid, and therefore are less available to poor women. "Reproductive choice has to be straightened out," said Ginsburg, lamenting the fact that only women "of means" can easily access abortion.

"Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of," Ginsburg told Emily Bazelon of the New York Times.

"So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn't really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong."

[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/magazine/12ginsburg-t.html?pagewanted=all The Place of Women on the Court], New York Times, EMILY BAZELON
Published: July 7, 2009

Also in the article:

Q: Since we are talking about abortion, I want to ask you about Gonzales v. Carhart, the case in which the court upheld a law banning so-called partial-birth abortion. Justice Kennedy in his opinion for the majority characterized women as regretting the choice to have an abortion, and then talked about how they need to be shielded from knowing the specifics of what they’d done. You wrote, “This way of thinking reflects ancient notions about women’s place in the family and under the Constitution.” I wondered if this was an example of the court not quite making the turn to seeing women as fully autonomous.

JUSTICE GINSBURG: The poor little woman, to regret the choice that she made. Unfortunately there is something of that in Roe. It’s not about the women alone. It’s the women in consultation with her doctor. So the view you get is the tall doctor and the little woman who needs him.

Abortion as Population Control for Unwanted Groups

2009-07-13T14:12:43Z

Martha: New page: Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg: I Thought Roe Would Help Eradicate Unwanted Populations [http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jul/09070901.html Lifesitenews.com] | July 9, 2009 | Kathleen...

Related News and Commentary

2009-07-13T14:07:15Z

Martha:

[http://wthrockmorton.com/2008/07/25/handicapping-the-apa-abortion-and-mental-health-task-force-report/ Handicapping the APA abortion and mental health task force report] Dr. Warren Throckmorton

'''Wall Street Journal 8/12/08'''

:*[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121849764993731541.html New Front in Abortion Battle: Both Sides Await Report That Charts The Effects on Mental Health] By STEPHANIE SIMON August 12, 2008; Page A16

:*[http://blogs.wsj.com/frontlines/2008/08/11/abortion-asking-the-difficult-questions/ Abortion: Asking the Difficult Questions] Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2008, 11:40 pm

:*[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121846580947029793.html?mod=Health Abortion Studies Support Both Sides of Debate] By STEPHANIE SIMON

'''PreTerm Birth'''
:*[[Rapid Repeat Pregnancy]]

'''Other'''
:*Ginsburg & Supreme Court's Interest in [[Abortion as Population Control for Unwanted Groups]]

Brenda Major

2008-08-18T18:42:00Z

Martha: /* Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress */

==Biography==

*Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] and was the chair of the APA's Task Force on Abotion and Mental Health and lead author of that report.

*She is also a member of the APA "Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35)<ref name=Bvitae>http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/~major/lab/vita.html Curriculum Vitae Brenda Major, Ph.D.]</ref> which describes its mission as that of providing "an organizational base for all feminists, women and men of all national origins, who are interested in teaching, research, or practice in the psychology of women."[http://www.apa.org/about/division/div35.html]

*She is also an advisor to the post-abortion counseling group called Exhale<ref name=Bvitae/> which has served 15,000 women seeking post-abortion counseling.[http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_abortion_counseling_conundrum]

:Exhale receives funding it from two politically pro-choice donors. The Women's Foundation of California "work(s) to strengthen the capacity of reproductive health and rights organizations in California, protect existing reproductive rights, [and] promote policies that increase access to care and to abortion." The Third Wave Foundation also found the hotline met their criteria for "award[ing] grants to support the training of new abortion providers, increasing access to reproductive healthcare services…and reproductive…education."<ref>http://www.womensfoundca.org/grantmaking_programs.html
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/899
http://www.thirdwavefoundation.org/programs/repro_rights.html </ref>

:Women's eNewsletter wrote that Exhale’s "monthly budget [is] "$500…for phones, brochures and office space," but their annual operating budget is either “$200,000” or "$250,000"<ref>http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_2769183</ref>

*Major has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. In violation of APA ethics rules on data sharing, however, she has refused to allow other researchers to examine her data despite accusations that she has misrepresented and selectively reported her findings.<ref name=ertelt1> Steven Ertelt <http://www.lifenews.com/nat4135.html Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks> LifeNews.com August 15, 2008</ref>

==List of Major's Studies Regarding Abortion and Mental Health==
*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. [http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/151/7/979?ijkey=3f9906ac0d170707f53e1aa2124d6d6c1dd3d2a2&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha Full Copy - Free]</ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [[Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion]] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explaining in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported [by the self-attribution of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion and also by clinical experience of counselors who have successfully treated post-abortion depression],” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

In addition, Major's lack of concern for accuracy is demonstrated by her very inaccurate description of the studies cited by Reardon in regard to the quote she trucated and criticized. Not even one of the four citations he used were employed "samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion." The Rue study, for example, was based on questionnaires given to women with any history of pregnancy loss and did not employ without self-identification of negative reactions to abortion as part of the selection process nor did it even examine depression.<ref>Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448616 Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women.] Med Sci Monit, 2004 10(10): SR5-16.</ref> This lack of precision is typical of idealogues for whom the idea is more important than the facts.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

Brenda Major

2008-08-18T18:40:01Z

Martha: /* Biography */

==Biography==

*Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] and was the chair of the APA's Task Force on Abotion and Mental Health and lead author of that report.

*She is also a member of the APA "Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35)<ref name=Bvitae>http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/~major/lab/vita.html Curriculum Vitae Brenda Major, Ph.D.]</ref> which describes its mission as that of providing "an organizational base for all feminists, women and men of all national origins, who are interested in teaching, research, or practice in the psychology of women."[http://www.apa.org/about/division/div35.html]

*She is also an advisor to the post-abortion counseling group called Exhale<ref name=Bvitae/> which has served 15,000 women seeking post-abortion counseling.[http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_abortion_counseling_conundrum]

:Exhale receives funding it from two politically pro-choice donors. The Women's Foundation of California "work(s) to strengthen the capacity of reproductive health and rights organizations in California, protect existing reproductive rights, [and] promote policies that increase access to care and to abortion." The Third Wave Foundation also found the hotline met their criteria for "award[ing] grants to support the training of new abortion providers, increasing access to reproductive healthcare services…and reproductive…education."<ref>http://www.womensfoundca.org/grantmaking_programs.html
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/899
http://www.thirdwavefoundation.org/programs/repro_rights.html </ref>

:Women's eNewsletter wrote that Exhale’s "monthly budget [is] "$500…for phones, brochures and office space," but their annual operating budget is either “$200,000” or "$250,000"<ref>http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_2769183</ref>

*Major has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. In violation of APA ethics rules on data sharing, however, she has refused to allow other researchers to examine her data despite accusations that she has misrepresented and selectively reported her findings.<ref name=ertelt1> Steven Ertelt <http://www.lifenews.com/nat4135.html Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks> LifeNews.com August 15, 2008</ref>

==List of Major's Studies Regarding Abortion and Mental Health==
*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. [http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/151/7/979?ijkey=3f9906ac0d170707f53e1aa2124d6d6c1dd3d2a2&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha Full Copy - Free]</ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [[Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion]] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explaining in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported [by the self-attribution of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion and also by clinical experience of counselors who have successfully treated post-abortion depression],” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

In addition, Major's lack of concern for accuracy is demonstrated by her very inaccurate description of the studies cited by Reardon in regard to the quote she trucated and criticized. Not even one of the four citations he used were employed "samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion." The Rue study, for example, was based on questionnaires given to women with any history of pregnancy loss and did not employ without any self-identification of depression as part of the selection process nor did it even examine depression.<ref>Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448616 Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women.] Med Sci Monit, 2004 10(10): SR5-16.</ref> This lack of precision is typical of idealogues for whom the idea is more important than the facts.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

Brenda Major

2008-08-18T18:39:42Z

Martha: /* Biography */

==Biography==

*Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] and was the chair of the APA's Task Force on Abotion and Mental Health and lead author of that report.

*She is also a member of the APA "Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35)<ref name=Bvitae>http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/~major/lab/vita.html Curriculum Vitae Brenda Major, Ph.D.]</ref> which describes its mission as that of providing "an organizational base for all feminists, women and men of all national origins, who are interested in teaching, research, or practice in the psychology of women."[http://www.apa.org/about/division/div35.html]

*She is also an advisor to the post-abortion counseling group called Exhale<ref name=Bvitae/> which has served 15,000 women seeking post-abortion counseling.[http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_abortion_counseling_conundrum]

:Exhale receives funding it from two politically pro-choice donors. The Women's Foundation of California "work(s) to strengthen the capacity of reproductive health and rights organizations in California, protect existing reproductive rights, [and] promote policies that increase access to care and to abortion." The Third Wave Foundation also found the hotline met their criteria for "award[ing] grants to support the training of new abortion providers, increasing access to reproductive healthcare services…and reproductive…education."<ref>http://www.womensfoundca.org/grantmaking_programs.html
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/899
http://www.thirdwavefoundation.org/programs/repro_rights.html </ref>

:Women's eNewsletter wrote that Exhale’s "monthly budget [is] "$500…for phones, brochures and office space," but their annual operating budget is either “$200,000” or "$250,000"<ref>http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_2769183</ref>

*Major has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. In violation of APA ethics rules on data sharing, however, she has refused to allow other researchers to examine her data despite accusations that she has misrepresented and selectively reported her findings.<ref name=ertelt1> Steven Ertelt <http://www.lifenews.com/nat4135.html Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks> LifeNews.com August 15, 2008</ref>

==List of Major's Studies Regarding Abortion and Mental Health==
*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. [http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/151/7/979?ijkey=3f9906ac0d170707f53e1aa2124d6d6c1dd3d2a2&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha Full Copy - Free]</ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [[Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion]] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explaining in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported [by the self-attribution of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion and also by clinical experience of counselors who have successfully treated post-abortion depression],” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

In addition, Major's lack of concern for accuracy is demonstrated by her very inaccurate description of the studies cited by Reardon in regard to the quote she trucated and criticized. Not even one of the four citations he used were employed "samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion." The Rue study, for example, was based on questionnaires given to women with any history of pregnancy loss and did not employ without any self-identification of depression as part of the selection process nor did it even examine depression.<ref>Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448616 Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women.] Med Sci Monit, 2004 10(10): SR5-16.</ref> This lack of precision is typical of idealogues for whom the idea is more important than the facts.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

Brenda Major

2008-08-18T18:38:56Z

Martha: /* Biography */

==Biography==

*Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] and was the chair of the APA's Task Force on Abotion and Mental Health and lead author of that report.

*She is also a member of the APA "Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35)<ref name=Bvitae>http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/~major/lab/vita.html Curriculum Vitae Brenda Major, Ph.D.]</ref>
which describes its mission as that of providing "an organizational base for all feminists, women and men of all national origins, who are interested in teaching, research, or practice in the psychology of women."[http://www.apa.org/about/division/div35.html]

*She is also an advisor to the post-abortion counseling group called Exhale<ref name=Bvitae/> which has served 15,000 women seeking post-abortion counseling.[http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_abortion_counseling_conundrum]

:Exhale receives funding it from two politically pro-choice donors. The Women's Foundation of California "work(s) to strengthen the capacity of reproductive health and rights organizations in California, protect existing reproductive rights, [and] promote policies that increase access to care and to abortion." The Third Wave Foundation also found the hotline met their criteria for "award[ing] grants to support the training of new abortion providers, increasing access to reproductive healthcare services…and reproductive…education."<ref>http://www.womensfoundca.org/grantmaking_programs.html
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/899
http://www.thirdwavefoundation.org/programs/repro_rights.html </ref>

:Women's eNewsletter wrote that Exhale’s "monthly budget [is] "$500…for phones, brochures and office space," but their annual operating budget is either “$200,000” or "$250,000"<ref>http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_2769183</ref>

Major has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. In violation of APA ethics rules on data sharing, however, she has refused to allow other researchers to examine her data despite accusations that she has misrepresented and selectively reported her findings.<ref name=ertelt1> Steven Ertelt <http://www.lifenews.com/nat4135.html Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks> LifeNews.com August 15, 2008</ref>

==List of Major's Studies Regarding Abortion and Mental Health==
*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. [http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/151/7/979?ijkey=3f9906ac0d170707f53e1aa2124d6d6c1dd3d2a2&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha Full Copy - Free]</ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [[Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion]] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explaining in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported [by the self-attribution of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion and also by clinical experience of counselors who have successfully treated post-abortion depression],” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

In addition, Major's lack of concern for accuracy is demonstrated by her very inaccurate description of the studies cited by Reardon in regard to the quote she trucated and criticized. Not even one of the four citations he used were employed "samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion." The Rue study, for example, was based on questionnaires given to women with any history of pregnancy loss and did not employ without any self-identification of depression as part of the selection process nor did it even examine depression.<ref>Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448616 Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women.] Med Sci Monit, 2004 10(10): SR5-16.</ref> This lack of precision is typical of idealogues for whom the idea is more important than the facts.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

APA Abortion Report

2008-08-18T18:32:54Z

Martha:

Create new articles by going into an existing article which should be linked to your article. Then putting a double bracket around the name like this <nowiki>[[Title of My Article]].</nowiki> Then save the page. Then click on the red link for [[Title of My Article]] and you will go to the new page you have created. Edit away!

*[[Tales from an Insider|Tales From an Insider: How The APA Denied Abortion's Mental Health Risks]] by Rachel McNair, Ph.D.

*[http://www.lifenews.com/nat4135.html Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks] by Steven Ertelt

*[[Brenda Major|Brenda Major, Chair of APA Abortion Task Force ]] - Biography and biases

*[[Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion]]

*The APA Task Force Report dismisses a large body of evidence demonstrating a link between abortion and mental health problems. And in the end it is left with only one study which it deems to be definitive in demonstrating no higher mental health risks associated with abortion. That study [[Gilchrist]] has a number of flaws described [[Gilchrist|here]]

*[http://wthrockmorton.com/2008/08/13/david-fergusson-reacts-to-the-apa-mental-health-and-abortion-task-force-report/ David Fergusson reacts to the APA Mental Health and Abortion task force report]

*[http://wthrockmorton.com/2008/08/14/allegations-cloud-apa-mental-health-and-abortion-report/ Allegations cloud APA Mental Health and Abortion report]

*[http://wthrockmorton.com/2008/08/12/apa-abortion-and-mental-health-report-single-abortion-not-a-threat-to-womens-mental-health/ APA abortion and mental health report: Single abortion not a threat to women’s mental health]

*What the headline's avoid saying, "APA finds more than one abortion is threat to women's mental health"

*APA Report Unconvincing. [http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/406447493.html 100 Scientists Report Abortion Does Cause Mental Health Problems]

*On March 14, 2008, the British Royal Academy of Psychiatrists recognized the need to screen for risk factors associated with mental health problems associated with abortion, stating:
::“Healthcare professionals who assess or refer women who are requesting an abortion should assess for mental disorder and for risk factors that may be associated with its subsequent development. If a mental disorder or risk factors are identified, there should be a clearly identified care pathway whereby the mental health needs of the woman and her significant others may be met."

:Here is the [http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/members/currentissues/mentalhealthandabortion.aspx full Royal College of Psychiatrists]

*[http://www.lifenews.com/nat4132.html Women Hurting From Abortions Say APA Report Discounts Their Experiences]

*[http://www.lifenews.com/int876.html Researcher on Abortion-Depression Link Says APA Report Ignores Best Studies]

*[http://www.lifenews.com/nat4131.html APA Report on Abortion-Mental Health Problem Link Politically Biased]

==Media Reports==

*[http://www.medpagetoday.com/OBGYN/GeneralOBGYN/tb/10579 Medpage Today]
:Excerpts:
::The review identified several factors predictive of more negative psychological responses following first-trimester abortion:
::*Included perceptions of stigma
::*Need for secrecy
::*Low or anticipated social support for the abortion decision
::*Prior history of mental health problems
::*Personality factors such as low self-esteem and use of avoidance and denial coping strategies
::*Characteristics of the particular pregnancy, including the extent to which the woman wanted and felt committed to it
::*Prior mental health which was the strongest predictor of postabortion mental health
::The report noted that many of these same factors also predict negative psychological reactions to other types of stressful life events, including childbirth.

[http://www.nhs.uk/news/2008/08August/Pages/Mentalhealthafterabortion.aspx National Health Services]

[http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=228210&src= Daily Herald]

[http://www.medindia.net/news/Abortion-Not-Necessarily-a-Threat-to-Womens-Mental-Health-Says-American-Psychological-Association-40691-2.htm Med India]
:"Certain factors were found to increase the risk of lingering mental health effects ranging from higher stress levels to anxious feelings to full-blown depression:
:• Being pressured into having an abortion when the pregnancy was wanted
:• Not having adequate emotional support after the abortion
:• Feeling the need to keep the abortion a secret from loved ones because of the stigma associated with it

APA Abortion Report

2008-08-14T18:43:32Z

Martha:

APA Abortion Report

2008-08-14T18:42:00Z

Martha:

APA Abortion Report

2008-08-14T18:39:18Z

Martha: APA

APA Abortion Report

2008-08-14T15:20:03Z

Martha:

APA Abortion Report

2008-08-14T15:08:39Z

Martha: add some stuff regarding APA

Surreptitious Use of Abortifacients

2008-08-14T15:03:31Z

Martha: New page: Start here Chris.

Start here Chris.

Original Articles

2008-08-14T15:03:12Z

Martha: /* Draft Articles */

To start a new article, first edit this page and add the article title with double brackets around it, like this <nowiki>[[My Article Title]]</nowiki>. After saving the page, double click on your article title and that will create a new blank page for you to start editing it.

== Completed Articles ==

[[The Voice Unmentioned]]

== Draft Articles ==

[[Abortion Complications are an Iatrogenic Disease]]

[[It's Not About Choice]]

[[Surreptitious Use of Abortifacients]]

Depression

2008-08-14T14:59:30Z

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==General Background Studies==

''"Depressive symptoms during pregnancy: Relationship to poor health behaviors," B. Zuckerman et al.. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 160: 1107-1111, 1989.''
:In a study of 1014 women of mostly poor and minority status at Boston City Hospital between 1984-1987, depressive symptoms during pregnancy were associated with increased life stress, decreased social support, poor weight gain, and use of cigarettes, alcohol and cocaine.

''"Increasing Rates of Depression," . G.L. Klerman, M.M. Weissman, JAMA 261 (15):2229-2235, April 21, 1989.''
:Several studies have observed important changes in rates of depression among those born after W.W.II including a decrease in the age of onset with an increase in the late teenage and early adult years; an increase between 1960 and 1975 in the rates of depression for all ages; the risk of depression is consistently 2 to 3 times higher among women than men of all ages.

''"Continuing Female Predominance In Depressive Illness, A.C," Leon, G.L. Klerman, P. Wickramaratne, Am.J. Public Health 83 (5): 754, May, 1993.''
:Women continued to show higher rates of depression than men. Regardless of sex or period of time, subjects seemed to be at greatest risk of a first major depressive episode between ages 16-25.

''"Social Adjustment and Depression: A Longitudinal Study," E. S. Paykel and M. Weissman, Archives of General Psychiatry 28: 659-663 (1973).''
:Depressed women showed residual dysfunctions in the areas of interpersonal friction and inhibited communication that remained relatively unchanged even when other symptoms of depression and sodal maladjustment dissipated.

''"Interpersonal Consequences to Depression," C. L. Hammen, and S.D. Peters, Journal of Abnormal Psychology 87: 322-332 (1978).''
:Depressed persons elicit more negative reactions from others than non-depressed.

''"Irrational Beliefs in Depression," R.E. Nelson, J. of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 45: 1190-1191 (1977).''
:The strongest correlates of depression are general irrationality, a need to excel in all endeavors, a need to feel worthwhile as a person, a feeling that things are terrible when they are not like one wants, obsessive worry, and a belief that it is impossible to overcome one's past.

''"Life Events and Depressive Order Reviewed," I and II, C. Lloyd, Archives of General Psychiatry 37: 529-535 May, 1980.''
:Loss of parents may double or triple the depressive factor.

''"Epidemiology of Affective Disorders," Robert Hirschfield and C.K. Grass, Archives of General Psychiatry 39(1): 35 (1982). ''
:A good summary of the literature.

''"Hostility and Depression," E.S. Gershon, M. Cromer and G.L. Klerman, Psychiatry 31: 224-235 (1968).''
:Hostility may have separate mechanisms both for its initiation and its defensive alterations. The expression of hostility may drain off the awareness of depression. It may express a "great despairing cry for love."

''"Life Events and Depression: A Controlled Study," E.S. Paykel, J.K. Myers, M. Dienelt, Archives of General Psychiatry 21: 753-760 (1969).''
:Study noted an excessive number of stressful life events prior to depression.

''"Masked Depression in Children and Adolescents," Kurt Glaser, American Journal of Psychotherapy 566-574 (1966).''
:Behavior problems and delinquent behavior such as temper tantrums, disobedience, truancy, running away from home, failure to achieve in school may indicate depressive feelings.

''"Sex Differences and the Epidemiology of Depression," Myron Weissman and Gerald Klerman, Archives of General Psychiatry 34: 98-111 (January 1977).''
:Authors review various studies and conclude that women predominate among depressives; psycho-social explanations include social status hypothesis of social discrimination against women. It is hypothesized that inequities lead to legal and economic helplessness, dependency on others, chronically low self-esteem, low aspirations and ultimately clinical depression. The learned helplessness theory proposes that socially conditioned, stereotypical images produce in women a cognitive set against assertion which is reinforced by societal expectations. Learned helplessness is characteristic of depression.

''"Toward a Comprehensive Theory of Depression: A Cross Disciplinary Appraisal of Objects. Games and Meaning," Ernest Becker, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 135: 26- 35 (1962). Comments by the author: ''
:Until Edward Bibring's theory, self-directed aggression was considered a primary mechanism in depression. Bibring signaled a radical departure from previous theory when he postulated that self-directed aggression was secondary to an undermining of self- esteem. Thereby, he delivered an apparently telling blow to formulations around the concepts of morality and aggression.
:In the classical psychoanalytic formulation of depression, mourning and melancholic states, loss of a loved object was considered to be a crucial dynamic. The ego which (theoretically) grows by ideationally gathering objects into itself, was thought to sometimes massive trauma when loved objects had to be relinquished. The loss of an object in the real world meant a corresponding depletion of the ego.
:The sociological view has stressed not object depletion in the ego as the motivation for funeral and mourning rites, but rather the social dramatization of solidarity at the loss of one of society's performance members. Ceremonies of mourning serve as a reaffirmation of social cohesiveness even though single performers drop out of the plot.
:To lose an object is to lose someone to whom one has made appeal for self-validation.
:It was formerly thought that depression was rare among the "simpler peoples for several reasons--it was thought that the accumulation of guilt so prominent in the depressive syndrome-there was also the lingering myth of the happy savage.
:The most difficult realization for man is the possibility that life has no meaning.
:"Acknowledgment of personal sin or confession of guilt may sometimes be a defense against the possibility that there may be no meaning in the world....
:Guilt in oneself is easier to face than lack of meaning in life." (quoted from On Shame and Search for Identity Helen Merrell Lynd, Harcourt-Brace [1958] p. 58)
:The more people to whom one can make appeal for his identity, the easier it is to sustain life-meaning. Object loss hits hardest when self-justification is limited to a few objects.

''"The Mechanism of Depression," E. Bibring, in Greenacre, P., Ed., Affective Disorders, (New York: International Universities Press, 1953) pp. 13-48. ''

''Depression, A.T. Beck, (New York: Hoeber, 1967) ''
:Ed Note: This is an important work on depression.

==Abortion-Related Depression==
''[http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120750852/abstract Using telemedicine for termination of pregnancy with mifepristone and misoprostol in settings where there is no access to safe services.] Gomperts R, Jelinska K, Davies S, Gemzell-Danielsson K, Lleiverda G. BJOG 2008;115:1171–8.''

About 30 percent of women taking abortion drugs purchased via the Internet reported depression and negative feelings accompanying the abortion.

''[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18539697?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Abortion and depression: A population-based longitudinal study of young women.] Pedersen W. Scand J Public Health. 2008 Jul;36(4):424-8.''
:ABSTRACT
:AIM: Induced abortion is an experience shared by a large number of women in Norway, but we know little about the likely social or mental health-related implications of undergoing induced abortion. International studies suggest an increased risk of adverse outcomes such as depression, but many studies are weakened by poor design. One particular problem is the lack of control for confounding factors likely to increase the risk of both abortion and depression. The aim of the study was to investigate whether induced abortion was a risk factor for subsequent depression. METHODS: A representative sample of women from the normal population (n=768) was monitored between the ages of 15 and 27 years. Questions covered depression, induced abortion and childbirth, as well as sociodemographic variables, family relationships and a number of individual characteristics, such as schooling and occupational history and conduct problems. RESULTS: Young women who reported having had an abortion in their twenties were more likely to score above the cut-off point for depression (odds ratio (OR) 3.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-6.1). Controlling for third variables reduced the association, but it remained significant (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.7-5.6). There was no association between teenage abortion and subsequent depression. CONCLUSIONS: Young adult women who undergo induced abortion may be at increased risk for subsequent depression.

''Depression and termination of pregnancy (induced abortion) in a national cohort of young Australian women: the confounding effect of women's experience of violence. Taft AJ, Watson LF. BMC Public Health. 2008 Feb 26;8:75.''
:"The data from the Younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health comprised 14,776 women aged 18-23 in Survey I (1996) of whom 9683 aged 22-27 also responded to Survey 2 (2000). With linked data, we distinguished terminations, violence and depression reported before and after 1996.We used logistic regression to examine the association of depression (CES-D 10) as both a dichotomous and linear measure in 2000 with pregnancy termination, numbers of births and with violence separately and then in mutually adjusted models with sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: 30% of young women were depressed. Eleven percent (n = 1076) reported a termination by 2000. A first termination before 1996 and between 1996 and 2000 were both associated with depression in a univariate model (OR 1.37, 95%CI 1.12 to 1.66; OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.24 to 1.87). However, after adjustment for violence, numbers of births and sociodemographic variables (OR 1.22, 95%CI 0.99 to 1.51) this became only marginally significant, a similar association with having two or more births (1.26, 95%CI. 1.00 to 1.58).In contrast, any form of violence but especially that of partner violence in 1996 or 2000, was significantly associated with depression: in univariate (OR 2.31, 95%CI 1.97 to 2.70 or 2.45, 95% CI 1.99 to 3.04) and multivariate models (AOR 2.06, 95%CI 1.74 to 2.43 or 2.12, 95%CI 1.69 to 2.65). Linear regression showed a four fold greater effect of violence than termination or births. CONCLUSION: Violence, especially partner violence, makes a significantly greater contribution to women's depression compared with pregnancy termination or births. Any strategy to reduce the burden of women's depression should include prevention or reduction of violence against women and strengthening women's sexual and reproductive health to ensure that pregnancies are planned and wanted."

''"A Developmental Approach to Post-Abortion Depression," Frederick M. Burkle, The Practitioner 218:217, February 1977. ''
:If the loss is valued depression will occur. To resolve the depression a process of mourning must occur.

''"Reproductive Factors Affecting the Course of Affective Illness in Women," B.L. Parry, Psychiatric Clinics of North America 12(1): 207, March, 1989 ''
:Major depressive disorders are increasing with time, the age of onset is becoming earlier, and women continue to show an increased incidence of the disorder. Women are vulnerable to depressions associated with abortion.

''"Testing a Model of the Psychological Consequences of Abortion," WB Miller et al in The New Civil War. The Psychology, Culture, and Politics of Abortion, ed. Linda J. Beckman and S Marie Harvey. (Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1998) ''
:A multi-dimensional study of the psychological effects of induced abortion using mifepristone/misoprostol concluded that studies which emphasize unitary responses to abortion such as feelings of shame or guilt, loss or depression, and relief may be missing an important broader picture as what appears to happen following abortion involves not so much a unitary as a broad, multidimensional affective response. Findings suggest that during the first few days or weeks following an abortion, many women's reactions are incomplete and not necessarily representative of subsequent reactions. It is also very likely that different kinds of women follow a different time course. More studies are needed that examine the short-term consequences using sequential "snap shots" and there is more need for more postabortion longitudinal research.

''"Personality and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Coping with Abortion," C Cozzarelli, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65(6): 1224-1236, 1993 ''
:A wide range of depression scores was obtained on women immediately following abortion and at three weeks post-abortion.

==Depression Shortly Prior to Abortion==

''"Bluestein and CM Rutledge, Family Practice Research Journal 13(2): 149-156, 1993 ''
:Moderate to severe depression was found in women seeking abortion. Depression symptoms increased as measures of denial, difficulties with communicating with male partner, pregnancy symptoms, contraceptive use and dissatisfaction with abortion increased.

''"Postabortion Psychological Adjustment: Are Minors at Increased Risk?" LM Pope et al, Journal of Adolescent Health 29:2-11, 2001 ''
:Thirty-five percent of young women aged 14-21 exhibited moderate to severe depression on the Beck Depression Inventory shortly prior to abortion.

''"Psychological Factors that predict reaction to abortion," D.T. Moseley, D.R. Follingstad, H. Harley, R.V. Heckel, J. of Clinical Psychology 37(2):276,1981 ''
:A University of South Carolina study on women who elected abortion in an urban southern area administered the Multiple Affective Adjective Check List (MAACL) to women when they entered the clinic and a post-test in the recovery room prior to discharge following their abortion. Pre-abortion depression was much higher than the MAACL norms previously reported. Significant decreases in anxiety and depression were noted following abortion but not with respect to hostility. A woman's relationship with her partner was a crucial factor in post-abortion adjustment. Women with negative feelings toward their partners had higher levels of pre-abortion depression and post-abortion depression compared to women who were assisted in the decision by their sexual partners.

''"Coping with Abortion," L. Cohen and S. Roth, Journal of Human Stress, Fall, 1984, pp. 140-145. ''
:Researchers at Duke University of 55 women presenting for abortion a private clinic in Raleigh, NC evaluated symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, depression and anxiety upon their arrival at the clinic and in the recovery room after their abortion. The level of anxiety and depression was measured by the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). The mean level of depression decreased from 24.1 initially to 18.4 following abortion. Women exhibiting high avoidance had significantly higher level of depression both before and after their abortion compared to women exhibiting low avoidance.

''"Psychological Factors Involved in Request for Elective Abortion, M," Blumenfield. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Jan. 1978, pp. 17-25. ''
:A study of 13 women requesting a first abortion and 13 women requesting a repeat abortion was undertaken at Kings County Hospital Clinic in New York utilizing a largely open-ended interview. The purpose was to determine the surrounding circumstances which gave rise to the request for abortion. It was found that the failure of contraception was not due to lack of access to adequate contraception. In 9 of 26 cases there was evidence of underlying psychological conflicts in the woman. These women were frequently lonely and/or depressed frequently because of isolation, loss of support, loss or separation from loved ones, or due to conflicts with partners. The data suggested that many of the male partners had a strong wish to father a child. The author stated "a pregnancy which leads to a request for an abortion usually reflects an underlying unresolved conflict which is being acted out through the pregnancy--a request for a repeat abortion would seem to indicate that the ambivalence has persisted and is being acted out through pregnancy once again or that a new circumstance has reawakened underlying conflicts.")

==Depression During Subsequent Pregnancies==

''"Abortion and Subsequent Pregnancy," C.F. Bradley, Canadian Journal Psychiatry29:494, Oct-1984. ''
:A study of 254 pregnant women in Victoria, B.C. were followed from the second trimester of their pregnancy until 12 months post-partum. Twenty-eight women had a prior induced abortion and 216 had no prior induced abortion. Women who had a prior abortion had significantly higher levels of depressive effect in the third trimester of pregnancy (35 weeks gestation) and also at intervals of I month, 6 months and 12 months in the post- partum period. A Depressive Adjective Checklist developed by other researchers was used as the evaluation tool. Women with prior abortions also described themselves as less well-adjusted during the prenatal period and had lower self-esteem in the post- partum period than those without any abortion history. The author suggested that it may have been those factors which were related to their depressive mood.

''"The Relationship Between Previous Elective Abortions and Postpartum," Depressive Reactions. N.E. Devore, Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, July/August 1979, pp-237-240''
:In a study of 73 women among the obstetrical population at the Hospital of Albert Einstein College during 1975-76, 25 pregnant women who had one abortion and 48 women who were pregnant for the first time were interviewed 6-8 weeks postpartum. Seventy-one percent of the women with abortion history reported they were depressed at the time of the abortion, yet only 12% reported that they had received emotional counseling at the time of the abortion. The range of time from the earlier abortion to the current pregnancy was 2-8 years, mean 3.9 years. Using the Beck Depression Inventory, the study found postpartum moderate depression in 16% of women with a prior abortion compared to 12% of the women without any abortion. Eighty percent of the women with abortion history compared to 56% without abortion history reported the "baby blues." The study suggested that a few women who have had a previous elective abortion will still experience feelings of guilt or depression in connection with it. Spontaneous comment from the women with abortion history suggested that anxiety during pregnancy concurring the infants health was a greater source of discomfort than was post-partum depression.

''"Previous induced abortion and ante-natal depression in primipare: preliminary report of a survey of mental health in pregnancy," R. Kumar, K. Robson, Psychological Medicine8:711-715, 1978 ''
:A British study of 119 pregnant women found an association between a previous abortion (legal or illegal) and depression and anxiety in an early subsequent pregnancy. An intensification of fears of fetal abnormality was noted in women having had a prior abortion. The study concluded that "unresolved feelings of guilt, grief and loss may remain dormant long after an abortion until they are apparently re-awakened by another pregnancy. Normal anxieties about the now desired fetus are intensified and such fears are often spontaneously interpreted in terms of retribution."

''A Prospective Study of Emotional Disorders in Childbearing Women, R Kumar, K Robson, Brit J Psychiat 144:35-47, 1984 ''
:Prior induced abortion was associated with ante-natal depression and anxiety; thoughts about obtaining abortion was associated with both ante-natal and post-natal depression and anxiety.

''"Psychiatric Morbidity in a Pregnant Population in Nigeria," OA Abiodun et. al General Hospital Psychiatry 15: 125-128, 1993 ''
:A previous history of induced abortion was significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity (mostly anxiety and neurotic depression) among 240 married Christian and Muslim women attending an antenatal clinic.

''"Psychological and social correlates of the onset of affective disorders among pregnant women," T Kitamura et al, Psychological Medicine 23:967-975, 1993 ''
:A Japanese study found that among women with previous pregnancy, pregnancy-related affective disorder was recognized among 27% of those expecting their first baby where there had been a previous termination of pregnancy compared to 3% of women who had no previous termination of pregnancy.

==Anniversary Depressive Reactions==

''"Aftermath of Abortion. Anniversary Depression and Abdominal Pain. J.O," Cavenar Jr A.A. Maltbie, J.L. Sullivan, Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic 42(5):433438, 1978 ''
:A case study was presented in which a woman had an apparently uneventful abortion, but which resulted in a depressive reaction which arose during the week of her expected delivery, necessitating psychiatric care.

''"Adolescent Suicide Attempts Following Elective Abortion," C Tischler, Pediatrics 68(5):670, 1981 ''
:Adolescents attempted suicide on the perceived due date for their aborted child.

''"Psychoses Following Therapeutic Abortion," J.G. Spaulding, J.O. Cavenar, Am.J.. Psychiatry 135(3):364, March 1978. (A case study of a 24 year old unmarried women who experienced post abortion insomnia, anorexia, agitation and severe depression that necessitated hospitalization 9 months after the time the child would have been conceived. ''

''"Postabortion Depressive Reactions in College Women," N.B. Gould, J.Am. College Health Association 28:316320, 1980. ''
:In a study of college women at Harvard University during 1978-79, cases of 3 women who had abortions are described who each experienced depressive reactions at the time of the expected delivery date which adversely affected classroom performance.

''"Post-Abortion Perceptions: A Comparison of Self-Identified Distressed and Nondistressed Populations," GK Congleton and LG Calhoun, The International Journal of Social Psychiatry 39(4): 255, 1993 ''
:Women who reported post-abortion distress were more likely to report depression around the anniversary date of the abortion or the due date for birth compared to women who reported relieving/neutral responses specifically related to the baby, insomnia, inability to concentrate on studies, divisiveness in their relationships with partners, suicidal ideation, bouts of crying, inability to be consoled.

''"Anniversary Reactions and Due Date Responses Following Abortion, K," Franco, N. Campbell, M. Taburrino. S. Jurs. J. Pentz, C. Evans, Psychother Psychosom 52:151-154, 1989. ''
:In a study of 83 women in a patient-led post abortion support group in Ohio, 30 reported anniversary reactions associated with the abortion or the due date. Mean scores on the Beck Depression Inventory were 6.5 for those reporting anniversary reactions and 5.5 for those not reporting anniversary reactions. Those reporting anniversary reactions frequently reported physical symptoms including abdominal pain, dyspareunia, headaches and chest pain.

==Depressive Reactions from Genetic Abortion==

''"The psychological sequelae of abortion performed for a genetic indication," B.D. Blumberg, M.S. Globus, K.H. Hanson, Am.J. Obstet Gynecol 122(7):799, August 1, 1975. ''
:In a study of 13 families where abortion was undergone due to a genetic defect in the fetus, the incidence of depression among women was as high as 92% among the women and 82% among the men. This was higher than elective abortion. Four families experienced separations during the pregnancy-abortion period.

''"Sequelae and Support After Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Malformation," J. Lloyd and KM Laurence, British Medical Journal 290:907-909, March 1985. ''
:Seventy-seven percent of the women experienced an acute grief reaction following termination of pregnancy for fetal malformation. Forty-six percent still remained symptomatic after six months, some requiring psychiatric support. Depression with anxiety, often with considerable repressed anger, was noted. Severity of the reaction ranged from mild tearfulness, sadness, lethargy and insomnia to incapacitating grief with somatic symptoms, and finally to complete withdrawal. There was no opportunity to mourn. Some women had named the baby, usually secretly, which seemed to help the grieving process. Several would have liked some burial or formal recognition of the death. Several had problems severe enough to influence reproductive behavior.

==Short Term Depressive Reactions==

''"Outcome Following Therapeutic Abortion," E.C. Payne, A.R. Kravitz, M.T. Notman, J.V. Anderson, Arch Gen Psychiatry 33:725, June 1976. ''
:A study of 102 women evaluated anxiety depression, anger, guilt and shame in women prior to abortion and at 24 hours, 6 weeks and 6 months following their abortion with respect to a multiple number of variables. Depressive reactions were significantly reduced following abortions although mild to moderate depression was still present in women 6 months after their abortion. Factors that significantly increased the likelihood of post abortion depression were immature object relationships, younger women, Catholic religion, no prior children, previous mental illness, borderline personality, a negative relationship with mother, a bad relationship with children, conflict with lover, ambivalence to abortion.

''"Induced abortion operations and their early sequelae," P.I. Frank, C.R. Kay, S.L. Winsgrave, Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 35:175, 1985. ''
:In this British study those with a history of depression had a rate of post abortion depression which was 2.59 times higher than expected.

''"Pregnancy Decision Making as a Significant Life Event: A Commitment Approach," J Lydon et al, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 71(1): 141-151, 1996 ''
:Initial commitment to the pregnancy prior to abortion predicted subsequent depression, guilt and hostility postabortion.

''"Therapeutic Abortion and a Prior Psychiatric History," J.A. Ewing, B.A. Rouse, Am J. Psychiatry 130(l):37, January, 1973. ''
:A North Carolina study of 126 women who had abortions in 1970-71 found that 36% of the women with a history of psychiatric problems reported depression following abortion compared with only 11% of the women who reported no prior psychiatric history. The responses ranged from a few weeks to two years post abortion. Women with a psychiatric history prior to abortion also had higher incidence of crying spells, anxiety, sleeplessness, worry and guilt.

''"Depressive Symptoms in Late Adolescent and Young Adult Females: Effects of Pregnancy Resolution," J. Mesaros, D. Larson and J. Lyons, presented to the American Society for Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York, New York, March 1990 ''
:A case / control of study of depressive symptoms in women 17-25 years of age compared women with prior induced abortion, delivery, spontaneous abortion and never pregnant on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Women with prior abortion had the highest frequency of depressive symptoms. Higher scores were found in women where there was a perceived loss of control in the decision to terminate, negative feelings about the termination and little meaningful religious experience.

''"Attributions, Expectations and Coping with Abortion," B. Major, P. Mueller, K. Hildebrandt, J. of Personality and Social Psychology 48(3):585, 1985. ''
:A study of 247 women who underwent abortions in a free-standing abortion clinic in a large U.S. metropolitan area found that their immediate (30 minutes post abortion) depression level following their abortion was mean of 4.17 (range 0-22) on the Beck Depression Inventory. Three weeks later on a sample of 99 women who later responded the mean response on the Beck Depression Inventory was a mean of 2.93 (range 0-17) on the Beck Depression Inventory.

''"Law. Preventive Psychiatry and Therapeutic Abortion," H.I. Levene, F. J. Rigney, The J. of Nervous and Mental Disease 151(l):51, 1970. ''
:A California study of 70 women who were granted a therapeutic abortion under California law found that 14% reported an increase in depressive symptomology 3-5 months post abortion.

''"Short-term Psychiatric Sequelae to Therapeutic Termination of Pregnancy," B. Lask, Br. J. Psychiatry 126:173-177, 1975. ''
:Fifty inpatients from a London hospital who underwent abortion were interviewed 6 months later. Thirty-two per cent had unfavorable outcomes. The outcome was considered unfavorable when the following criteria were fulfilled: (1) the patient regretted termination: (2) the patient had moderate or severe feelings of loss, guilt or self-reproach: (3) there was evidence of mental illness in the same degree as, or more severe than before the abortion. When moderate or severe adverse sequelae were reported, these were usually associated with depressive states. These varied in intensity from mild to sufficiently severe to necessitate hospital admission.

''"Women's Self-Reported Responses to Abortion," G.M. Burnell, M.A. Norfleet, The Journal of Psychology 12(l):71-76 ''
:A study of 158 women who were members of a prepaid health plan in northern California reported in responding to a mailed questionnaire found that 17% reported depression following abortion which was the highest endorsement under a section entitled -worsened adjustment after abortion. The length of time from the time of the abortion and the questionnaire varied. A majority of the women completed the questionnaire within one and a half years after abortion.

''"Long-term psychiatric follow-up," C. McCance, P. Olley, V. Edward in Experience with Abortion. Ed. G. Horobin, (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1973) 245-300. ''
:This study found that 20% of the original sample of women who underwent induced abortion were depressed 13-24 months thereafter according to the Beck Depression Inventory.

''"Psychological Responses of Women After First-Trimester Abortion," B Major et al, Arch Gen Psychiatry 57:777, 2000 ''
:20% of women had depression 2 years postabortion. Prepregnancy depression was a risk factor for postabortion depression. Negative postabortion emotions increased over time. Younger age and more children preabortion also predicted more negative abortion responses.

''"Emotional Distress Patterns Among Women Having First or Repeat Abortions," E.W. Freeman, K. Rickels, G.R. Huggins, Obstetrics and Gynecology 55(5):630, May, 1980. ''
:A study of 413 women at the University Hospital in 1977-78 using the SCL-90, a multidimensional self-report inventory measured depression before abortion and 2 weeks following abortion. The adjusted mean value prior to abortion was 1.06. After 2 weeks the adjusted mean value was 0.60 (one abortion) and 0.74 (two abortions). Women who repeated abortions showed significantly higher scores on interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation, phobic anxiety and sleep disturbance compared to women with one abortion.

''"Before and after therapeutic abortion," P. Mackenzie, Canadian Medical Association Journal 111:667, October 5, 1974.''
:A 1973 study at Queens University School of Medicine of 150 Canadian women two weeks post abortion had 53% respond to a questionnaire survey. Based on self reports of the women 39% said they were depressed a lot from the pregnancy (21% said they were a little depressed). Two weeks post abortion 4% said they were depressed a lot from the abortion and 28% said they were depressed a little and 39% said they were not at all depressed.

''"Induced abortion after feeling fetal movements: Its causes and emotional consequences," C. Brewer, J. Biosocial Science 10:203-208. ''
:In a study of 40 women who had abortions between 20-24 weeks gestation. Twenty-five were followed-up 30 months post abortion. Five reported feeling depressed about their abortion. One had taken time off from school or work for this reason. None had sought specialist advice.

==Long Term Depressive Reactions==
:: Defined here as reactions five years or more since abortion.

''"Psychological profile of dysphoric women post abortion," K.N. Franco, M. Tamburrino, N. Campbell, J. Pentz, S. Jurs, J. of the American Medical Women's Assoc. 44(4):113, July/Aug. 1989. ''
:In a survey of 81 women approximately 10 years post abortion who were in a patient led support group for women who described themselves as having poorly assimilated their abortion experience, the mean Beck Depression Inventory Score for all women studied was 5.3 (mild depression). For women with one abortion it was 4.7 (none to minimal depression). For women with multiple abortions it was 9.4 (moderate depression). Other risk factors for post abortion dysphoria were pre morbid psychiatric illness, lack of family support, ambivalence and feeling coerced into having a abortion.

''Post-Abortion Trauma, Jeanette Vought, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991). ''
:A study of 68 religiously oriented, primarily Protestant women who were studied 10-15 years post-abortion, 76% reported depression as one of the emotional effects of abortion.

''"A Survey of Postabortion Reactions," David C. Reardon, (Springfield, IL: The Elliot Institute for Social Science Research, 1987). ''
:In a 1987 Survey of Postabortion reactions among 100 women members of Women Exploited by Abortion an average of 11 years since their abortion, 87% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "After my abortion I experienced feelings of depression." Fifty per cent of these women were 20 years of age or younger at the time of their abortion.

''Psycho-Social Stress Following Abortion, Anne Speckhard, (Kansas City MO: Sheed & Ward, 1987). ''
:In a study of 30 women who reported chronic and long term stress from their abortion 92% expressed feelings of depression following abortion. Fifty per cent of these women had their abortion in the second trimester (46%) or third trimester (4%) of their pregnancy. The majority (64%) had their abortion 5-10 years previously, 20% were less than 5 years and 16% ranged from 11-25 years post abortion.

''"Depression associated with abortion and childbirth: A long-term analysis of the NLSY cohort," JR Cougle et al, Clinical Method & Health Research NetPrints, April 25, 2001 (Abstract)''
:This study used the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth which contains a number of psychological variables related to pregnancy outcome. Compared to post-childbirth women, women who had abortions were found to have significantly higher depression scores as measured an average of 10 years after their pregnancy outcome. Post-abortion women were also 41% more likely to score in the "high risk " range for clinical depression compared to non-aborting women. A self-assessment questionnaire administered in 1998 also found that aborting women were 73% more likely to complain of "depression, excessive worry, or nervous trouble of any kind" compared to women with other pregnancy outcomes.

''"Psychiatric history and mental status," W.L. Sands in Diagnosing Mental lllness:Evaluation in Psychiatry and Psychology, Eds. Freedman and Kaplan, (New York: Athenum, 1973) 31.''
:"The significance of abortions may not be revealed until later periods of emotional depression. During depressions occurring in the fifth or sixth decades of the patient's life, the psychiatrist frequently hears expressions of remorse and guilt concerning abortions that occurred twenty or more years earlier."

Depression

2008-08-14T14:53:05Z

Martha: /* Abortion-Related Depression */

{{DEA}}
{{PsychIndex}}

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==General Background Studies==

''"Depressive symptoms during pregnancy: Relationship to poor health behaviors," B. Zuckerman et al.. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 160: 1107-1111, 1989.''
:In a study of 1014 women of mostly poor and minority status at Boston City Hospital between 1984-1987, depressive symptoms during pregnancy were associated with increased life stress, decreased social support, poor weight gain, and use of cigarettes, alcohol and cocaine.

''"Increasing Rates of Depression," . G.L. Klerman, M.M. Weissman, JAMA 261 (15):2229-2235, April 21, 1989.''
:Several studies have observed important changes in rates of depression among those born after W.W.II including a decrease in the age of onset with an increase in the late teenage and early adult years; an increase between 1960 and 1975 in the rates of depression for all ages; the risk of depression is consistently 2 to 3 times higher among women than men of all ages.

''"Continuing Female Predominance In Depressive Illness, A.C," Leon, G.L. Klerman, P. Wickramaratne, Am.J. Public Health 83 (5): 754, May, 1993.''
:Women continued to show higher rates of depression than men. Regardless of sex or period of time, subjects seemed to be at greatest risk of a first major depressive episode between ages 16-25.

''"Social Adjustment and Depression: A Longitudinal Study," E. S. Paykel and M. Weissman, Archives of General Psychiatry 28: 659-663 (1973).''
:Depressed women showed residual dysfunctions in the areas of interpersonal friction and inhibited communication that remained relatively unchanged even when other symptoms of depression and sodal maladjustment dissipated.

''"Interpersonal Consequences to Depression," C. L. Hammen, and S.D. Peters, Journal of Abnormal Psychology 87: 322-332 (1978).''
:Depressed persons elicit more negative reactions from others than non-depressed.

''"Irrational Beliefs in Depression," R.E. Nelson, J. of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 45: 1190-1191 (1977).''
:The strongest correlates of depression are general irrationality, a need to excel in all endeavors, a need to feel worthwhile as a person, a feeling that things are terrible when they are not like one wants, obsessive worry, and a belief that it is impossible to overcome one's past.

''"Life Events and Depressive Order Reviewed," I and II, C. Lloyd, Archives of General Psychiatry 37: 529-535 May, 1980.''
:Loss of parents may double or triple the depressive factor.

''"Epidemiology of Affective Disorders," Robert Hirschfield and C.K. Grass, Archives of General Psychiatry 39(1): 35 (1982). ''
:A good summary of the literature.

''"Hostility and Depression," E.S. Gershon, M. Cromer and G.L. Klerman, Psychiatry 31: 224-235 (1968).''
:Hostility may have separate mechanisms both for its initiation and its defensive alterations. The expression of hostility may drain off the awareness of depression. It may express a "great despairing cry for love."

''"Life Events and Depression: A Controlled Study," E.S. Paykel, J.K. Myers, M. Dienelt, Archives of General Psychiatry 21: 753-760 (1969).''
:Study noted an excessive number of stressful life events prior to depression.

''"Masked Depression in Children and Adolescents," Kurt Glaser, American Journal of Psychotherapy 566-574 (1966).''
:Behavior problems and delinquent behavior such as temper tantrums, disobedience, truancy, running away from home, failure to achieve in school may indicate depressive feelings.

''"Sex Differences and the Epidemiology of Depression," Myron Weissman and Gerald Klerman, Archives of General Psychiatry 34: 98-111 (January 1977).''
:Authors review various studies and conclude that women predominate among depressives; psycho-social explanations include social status hypothesis of social discrimination against women. It is hypothesized that inequities lead to legal and economic helplessness, dependency on others, chronically low self-esteem, low aspirations and ultimately clinical depression. The learned helplessness theory proposes that socially conditioned, stereotypical images produce in women a cognitive set against assertion which is reinforced by societal expectations. Learned helplessness is characteristic of depression.

''"Toward a Comprehensive Theory of Depression: A Cross Disciplinary Appraisal of Objects. Games and Meaning," Ernest Becker, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 135: 26- 35 (1962). Comments by the author: ''
:Until Edward Bibring's theory, self-directed aggression was considered a primary mechanism in depression. Bibring signaled a radical departure from previous theory when he postulated that self-directed aggression was secondary to an undermining of self- esteem. Thereby, he delivered an apparently telling blow to formulations around the concepts of morality and aggression.
:In the classical psychoanalytic formulation of depression, mourning and melancholic states, loss of a loved object was considered to be a crucial dynamic. The ego which (theoretically) grows by ideationally gathering objects into itself, was thought to sometimes massive trauma when loved objects had to be relinquished. The loss of an object in the real world meant a corresponding depletion of the ego.
:The sociological view has stressed not object depletion in the ego as the motivation for funeral and mourning rites, but rather the social dramatization of solidarity at the loss of one of society's performance members. Ceremonies of mourning serve as a reaffirmation of social cohesiveness even though single performers drop out of the plot.
:To lose an object is to lose someone to whom one has made appeal for self-validation.
:It was formerly thought that depression was rare among the "simpler peoples for several reasons--it was thought that the accumulation of guilt so prominent in the depressive syndrome-there was also the lingering myth of the happy savage.
:The most difficult realization for man is the possibility that life has no meaning.
:"Acknowledgment of personal sin or confession of guilt may sometimes be a defense against the possibility that there may be no meaning in the world....
:Guilt in oneself is easier to face than lack of meaning in life." (quoted from On Shame and Search for Identity Helen Merrell Lynd, Harcourt-Brace [1958] p. 58)
:The more people to whom one can make appeal for his identity, the easier it is to sustain life-meaning. Object loss hits hardest when self-justification is limited to a few objects.

''"The Mechanism of Depression," E. Bibring, in Greenacre, P., Ed., Affective Disorders, (New York: International Universities Press, 1953) pp. 13-48. ''

''Depression, A.T. Beck, (New York: Hoeber, 1967) ''
:Ed Note: This is an important work on depression.

==Abortion-Related Depression==
''Gomperts R, Jelinska K, Davies S, Gemzell-Danielsson K, Lleiverda G. Using telemedicine for termination of pregnancy with mifepristone and misoprostol in settings where there is no access to safe services. BJOG 2008;115:1171–8.''

About 30 percent of women taking abortion drugs purchased via the Internet reported depression and negative feelings accompanying the abortion.

''[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18539697?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Abortion and depression: A population-based longitudinal study of young women.] Pedersen W. Scand J Public Health. 2008 Jul;36(4):424-8.''
:ABSTRACT
:AIM: Induced abortion is an experience shared by a large number of women in Norway, but we know little about the likely social or mental health-related implications of undergoing induced abortion. International studies suggest an increased risk of adverse outcomes such as depression, but many studies are weakened by poor design. One particular problem is the lack of control for confounding factors likely to increase the risk of both abortion and depression. The aim of the study was to investigate whether induced abortion was a risk factor for subsequent depression. METHODS: A representative sample of women from the normal population (n=768) was monitored between the ages of 15 and 27 years. Questions covered depression, induced abortion and childbirth, as well as sociodemographic variables, family relationships and a number of individual characteristics, such as schooling and occupational history and conduct problems. RESULTS: Young women who reported having had an abortion in their twenties were more likely to score above the cut-off point for depression (odds ratio (OR) 3.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-6.1). Controlling for third variables reduced the association, but it remained significant (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.7-5.6). There was no association between teenage abortion and subsequent depression. CONCLUSIONS: Young adult women who undergo induced abortion may be at increased risk for subsequent depression.

''Depression and termination of pregnancy (induced abortion) in a national cohort of young Australian women: the confounding effect of women's experience of violence. Taft AJ, Watson LF. BMC Public Health. 2008 Feb 26;8:75.''
:"The data from the Younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health comprised 14,776 women aged 18-23 in Survey I (1996) of whom 9683 aged 22-27 also responded to Survey 2 (2000). With linked data, we distinguished terminations, violence and depression reported before and after 1996.We used logistic regression to examine the association of depression (CES-D 10) as both a dichotomous and linear measure in 2000 with pregnancy termination, numbers of births and with violence separately and then in mutually adjusted models with sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: 30% of young women were depressed. Eleven percent (n = 1076) reported a termination by 2000. A first termination before 1996 and between 1996 and 2000 were both associated with depression in a univariate model (OR 1.37, 95%CI 1.12 to 1.66; OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.24 to 1.87). However, after adjustment for violence, numbers of births and sociodemographic variables (OR 1.22, 95%CI 0.99 to 1.51) this became only marginally significant, a similar association with having two or more births (1.26, 95%CI. 1.00 to 1.58).In contrast, any form of violence but especially that of partner violence in 1996 or 2000, was significantly associated with depression: in univariate (OR 2.31, 95%CI 1.97 to 2.70 or 2.45, 95% CI 1.99 to 3.04) and multivariate models (AOR 2.06, 95%CI 1.74 to 2.43 or 2.12, 95%CI 1.69 to 2.65). Linear regression showed a four fold greater effect of violence than termination or births. CONCLUSION: Violence, especially partner violence, makes a significantly greater contribution to women's depression compared with pregnancy termination or births. Any strategy to reduce the burden of women's depression should include prevention or reduction of violence against women and strengthening women's sexual and reproductive health to ensure that pregnancies are planned and wanted."

''"A Developmental Approach to Post-Abortion Depression," Frederick M. Burkle, The Practitioner 218:217, February 1977. ''
:If the loss is valued depression will occur. To resolve the depression a process of mourning must occur.

''"Reproductive Factors Affecting the Course of Affective Illness in Women," B.L. Parry, Psychiatric Clinics of North America 12(1): 207, March, 1989 ''
:Major depressive disorders are increasing with time, the age of onset is becoming earlier, and women continue to show an increased incidence of the disorder. Women are vulnerable to depressions associated with abortion.

''"Testing a Model of the Psychological Consequences of Abortion," WB Miller et al in The New Civil War. The Psychology, Culture, and Politics of Abortion, ed. Linda J. Beckman and S Marie Harvey. (Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1998) ''
:A multi-dimensional study of the psychological effects of induced abortion using mifepristone/misoprostol concluded that studies which emphasize unitary responses to abortion such as feelings of shame or guilt, loss or depression, and relief may be missing an important broader picture as what appears to happen following abortion involves not so much a unitary as a broad, multidimensional affective response. Findings suggest that during the first few days or weeks following an abortion, many women's reactions are incomplete and not necessarily representative of subsequent reactions. It is also very likely that different kinds of women follow a different time course. More studies are needed that examine the short-term consequences using sequential "snap shots" and there is more need for more postabortion longitudinal research.

''"Personality and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Coping with Abortion," C Cozzarelli, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65(6): 1224-1236, 1993 ''
:A wide range of depression scores was obtained on women immediately following abortion and at three weeks post-abortion.

==Depression Shortly Prior to Abortion==

''"Bluestein and CM Rutledge, Family Practice Research Journal 13(2): 149-156, 1993 ''
:Moderate to severe depression was found in women seeking abortion. Depression symptoms increased as measures of denial, difficulties with communicating with male partner, pregnancy symptoms, contraceptive use and dissatisfaction with abortion increased.

''"Postabortion Psychological Adjustment: Are Minors at Increased Risk?" LM Pope et al, Journal of Adolescent Health 29:2-11, 2001 ''
:Thirty-five percent of young women aged 14-21 exhibited moderate to severe depression on the Beck Depression Inventory shortly prior to abortion.

''"Psychological Factors that predict reaction to abortion," D.T. Moseley, D.R. Follingstad, H. Harley, R.V. Heckel, J. of Clinical Psychology 37(2):276,1981 ''
:A University of South Carolina study on women who elected abortion in an urban southern area administered the Multiple Affective Adjective Check List (MAACL) to women when they entered the clinic and a post-test in the recovery room prior to discharge following their abortion. Pre-abortion depression was much higher than the MAACL norms previously reported. Significant decreases in anxiety and depression were noted following abortion but not with respect to hostility. A woman's relationship with her partner was a crucial factor in post-abortion adjustment. Women with negative feelings toward their partners had higher levels of pre-abortion depression and post-abortion depression compared to women who were assisted in the decision by their sexual partners.

''"Coping with Abortion," L. Cohen and S. Roth, Journal of Human Stress, Fall, 1984, pp. 140-145. ''
:Researchers at Duke University of 55 women presenting for abortion a private clinic in Raleigh, NC evaluated symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, depression and anxiety upon their arrival at the clinic and in the recovery room after their abortion. The level of anxiety and depression was measured by the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). The mean level of depression decreased from 24.1 initially to 18.4 following abortion. Women exhibiting high avoidance had significantly higher level of depression both before and after their abortion compared to women exhibiting low avoidance.

''"Psychological Factors Involved in Request for Elective Abortion, M," Blumenfield. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Jan. 1978, pp. 17-25. ''
:A study of 13 women requesting a first abortion and 13 women requesting a repeat abortion was undertaken at Kings County Hospital Clinic in New York utilizing a largely open-ended interview. The purpose was to determine the surrounding circumstances which gave rise to the request for abortion. It was found that the failure of contraception was not due to lack of access to adequate contraception. In 9 of 26 cases there was evidence of underlying psychological conflicts in the woman. These women were frequently lonely and/or depressed frequently because of isolation, loss of support, loss or separation from loved ones, or due to conflicts with partners. The data suggested that many of the male partners had a strong wish to father a child. The author stated "a pregnancy which leads to a request for an abortion usually reflects an underlying unresolved conflict which is being acted out through the pregnancy--a request for a repeat abortion would seem to indicate that the ambivalence has persisted and is being acted out through pregnancy once again or that a new circumstance has reawakened underlying conflicts.")

==Depression During Subsequent Pregnancies==

''"Abortion and Subsequent Pregnancy," C.F. Bradley, Canadian Journal Psychiatry29:494, Oct-1984. ''
:A study of 254 pregnant women in Victoria, B.C. were followed from the second trimester of their pregnancy until 12 months post-partum. Twenty-eight women had a prior induced abortion and 216 had no prior induced abortion. Women who had a prior abortion had significantly higher levels of depressive effect in the third trimester of pregnancy (35 weeks gestation) and also at intervals of I month, 6 months and 12 months in the post- partum period. A Depressive Adjective Checklist developed by other researchers was used as the evaluation tool. Women with prior abortions also described themselves as less well-adjusted during the prenatal period and had lower self-esteem in the post- partum period than those without any abortion history. The author suggested that it may have been those factors which were related to their depressive mood.

''"The Relationship Between Previous Elective Abortions and Postpartum," Depressive Reactions. N.E. Devore, Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, July/August 1979, pp-237-240''
:In a study of 73 women among the obstetrical population at the Hospital of Albert Einstein College during 1975-76, 25 pregnant women who had one abortion and 48 women who were pregnant for the first time were interviewed 6-8 weeks postpartum. Seventy-one percent of the women with abortion history reported they were depressed at the time of the abortion, yet only 12% reported that they had received emotional counseling at the time of the abortion. The range of time from the earlier abortion to the current pregnancy was 2-8 years, mean 3.9 years. Using the Beck Depression Inventory, the study found postpartum moderate depression in 16% of women with a prior abortion compared to 12% of the women without any abortion. Eighty percent of the women with abortion history compared to 56% without abortion history reported the "baby blues." The study suggested that a few women who have had a previous elective abortion will still experience feelings of guilt or depression in connection with it. Spontaneous comment from the women with abortion history suggested that anxiety during pregnancy concurring the infants health was a greater source of discomfort than was post-partum depression.

''"Previous induced abortion and ante-natal depression in primipare: preliminary report of a survey of mental health in pregnancy," R. Kumar, K. Robson, Psychological Medicine8:711-715, 1978 ''
:A British study of 119 pregnant women found an association between a previous abortion (legal or illegal) and depression and anxiety in an early subsequent pregnancy. An intensification of fears of fetal abnormality was noted in women having had a prior abortion. The study concluded that "unresolved feelings of guilt, grief and loss may remain dormant long after an abortion until they are apparently re-awakened by another pregnancy. Normal anxieties about the now desired fetus are intensified and such fears are often spontaneously interpreted in terms of retribution."

''A Prospective Study of Emotional Disorders in Childbearing Women, R Kumar, K Robson, Brit J Psychiat 144:35-47, 1984 ''
:Prior induced abortion was associated with ante-natal depression and anxiety; thoughts about obtaining abortion was associated with both ante-natal and post-natal depression and anxiety.

''"Psychiatric Morbidity in a Pregnant Population in Nigeria," OA Abiodun et. al General Hospital Psychiatry 15: 125-128, 1993 ''
:A previous history of induced abortion was significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity (mostly anxiety and neurotic depression) among 240 married Christian and Muslim women attending an antenatal clinic.

''"Psychological and social correlates of the onset of affective disorders among pregnant women," T Kitamura et al, Psychological Medicine 23:967-975, 1993 ''
:A Japanese study found that among women with previous pregnancy, pregnancy-related affective disorder was recognized among 27% of those expecting their first baby where there had been a previous termination of pregnancy compared to 3% of women who had no previous termination of pregnancy.

==Anniversary Depressive Reactions==

''"Aftermath of Abortion. Anniversary Depression and Abdominal Pain. J.O," Cavenar Jr A.A. Maltbie, J.L. Sullivan, Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic 42(5):433438, 1978 ''
:A case study was presented in which a woman had an apparently uneventful abortion, but which resulted in a depressive reaction which arose during the week of her expected delivery, necessitating psychiatric care.

''"Adolescent Suicide Attempts Following Elective Abortion," C Tischler, Pediatrics 68(5):670, 1981 ''
:Adolescents attempted suicide on the perceived due date for their aborted child.

''"Psychoses Following Therapeutic Abortion," J.G. Spaulding, J.O. Cavenar, Am.J.. Psychiatry 135(3):364, March 1978. (A case study of a 24 year old unmarried women who experienced post abortion insomnia, anorexia, agitation and severe depression that necessitated hospitalization 9 months after the time the child would have been conceived. ''

''"Postabortion Depressive Reactions in College Women," N.B. Gould, J.Am. College Health Association 28:316320, 1980. ''
:In a study of college women at Harvard University during 1978-79, cases of 3 women who had abortions are described who each experienced depressive reactions at the time of the expected delivery date which adversely affected classroom performance.

''"Post-Abortion Perceptions: A Comparison of Self-Identified Distressed and Nondistressed Populations," GK Congleton and LG Calhoun, The International Journal of Social Psychiatry 39(4): 255, 1993 ''
:Women who reported post-abortion distress were more likely to report depression around the anniversary date of the abortion or the due date for birth compared to women who reported relieving/neutral responses specifically related to the baby, insomnia, inability to concentrate on studies, divisiveness in their relationships with partners, suicidal ideation, bouts of crying, inability to be consoled.

''"Anniversary Reactions and Due Date Responses Following Abortion, K," Franco, N. Campbell, M. Taburrino. S. Jurs. J. Pentz, C. Evans, Psychother Psychosom 52:151-154, 1989. ''
:In a study of 83 women in a patient-led post abortion support group in Ohio, 30 reported anniversary reactions associated with the abortion or the due date. Mean scores on the Beck Depression Inventory were 6.5 for those reporting anniversary reactions and 5.5 for those not reporting anniversary reactions. Those reporting anniversary reactions frequently reported physical symptoms including abdominal pain, dyspareunia, headaches and chest pain.

==Depressive Reactions from Genetic Abortion==

''"The psychological sequelae of abortion performed for a genetic indication," B.D. Blumberg, M.S. Globus, K.H. Hanson, Am.J. Obstet Gynecol 122(7):799, August 1, 1975. ''
:In a study of 13 families where abortion was undergone due to a genetic defect in the fetus, the incidence of depression among women was as high as 92% among the women and 82% among the men. This was higher than elective abortion. Four families experienced separations during the pregnancy-abortion period.

''"Sequelae and Support After Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Malformation," J. Lloyd and KM Laurence, British Medical Journal 290:907-909, March 1985. ''
:Seventy-seven percent of the women experienced an acute grief reaction following termination of pregnancy for fetal malformation. Forty-six percent still remained symptomatic after six months, some requiring psychiatric support. Depression with anxiety, often with considerable repressed anger, was noted. Severity of the reaction ranged from mild tearfulness, sadness, lethargy and insomnia to incapacitating grief with somatic symptoms, and finally to complete withdrawal. There was no opportunity to mourn. Some women had named the baby, usually secretly, which seemed to help the grieving process. Several would have liked some burial or formal recognition of the death. Several had problems severe enough to influence reproductive behavior.

==Short Term Depressive Reactions==

''"Outcome Following Therapeutic Abortion," E.C. Payne, A.R. Kravitz, M.T. Notman, J.V. Anderson, Arch Gen Psychiatry 33:725, June 1976. ''
:A study of 102 women evaluated anxiety depression, anger, guilt and shame in women prior to abortion and at 24 hours, 6 weeks and 6 months following their abortion with respect to a multiple number of variables. Depressive reactions were significantly reduced following abortions although mild to moderate depression was still present in women 6 months after their abortion. Factors that significantly increased the likelihood of post abortion depression were immature object relationships, younger women, Catholic religion, no prior children, previous mental illness, borderline personality, a negative relationship with mother, a bad relationship with children, conflict with lover, ambivalence to abortion.

''"Induced abortion operations and their early sequelae," P.I. Frank, C.R. Kay, S.L. Winsgrave, Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 35:175, 1985. ''
:In this British study those with a history of depression had a rate of post abortion depression which was 2.59 times higher than expected.

''"Pregnancy Decision Making as a Significant Life Event: A Commitment Approach," J Lydon et al, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 71(1): 141-151, 1996 ''
:Initial commitment to the pregnancy prior to abortion predicted subsequent depression, guilt and hostility postabortion.

''"Therapeutic Abortion and a Prior Psychiatric History," J.A. Ewing, B.A. Rouse, Am J. Psychiatry 130(l):37, January, 1973. ''
:A North Carolina study of 126 women who had abortions in 1970-71 found that 36% of the women with a history of psychiatric problems reported depression following abortion compared with only 11% of the women who reported no prior psychiatric history. The responses ranged from a few weeks to two years post abortion. Women with a psychiatric history prior to abortion also had higher incidence of crying spells, anxiety, sleeplessness, worry and guilt.

''"Depressive Symptoms in Late Adolescent and Young Adult Females: Effects of Pregnancy Resolution," J. Mesaros, D. Larson and J. Lyons, presented to the American Society for Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York, New York, March 1990 ''
:A case / control of study of depressive symptoms in women 17-25 years of age compared women with prior induced abortion, delivery, spontaneous abortion and never pregnant on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Women with prior abortion had the highest frequency of depressive symptoms. Higher scores were found in women where there was a perceived loss of control in the decision to terminate, negative feelings about the termination and little meaningful religious experience.

''"Attributions, Expectations and Coping with Abortion," B. Major, P. Mueller, K. Hildebrandt, J. of Personality and Social Psychology 48(3):585, 1985. ''
:A study of 247 women who underwent abortions in a free-standing abortion clinic in a large U.S. metropolitan area found that their immediate (30 minutes post abortion) depression level following their abortion was mean of 4.17 (range 0-22) on the Beck Depression Inventory. Three weeks later on a sample of 99 women who later responded the mean response on the Beck Depression Inventory was a mean of 2.93 (range 0-17) on the Beck Depression Inventory.

''"Law. Preventive Psychiatry and Therapeutic Abortion," H.I. Levene, F. J. Rigney, The J. of Nervous and Mental Disease 151(l):51, 1970. ''
:A California study of 70 women who were granted a therapeutic abortion under California law found that 14% reported an increase in depressive symptomology 3-5 months post abortion.

''"Short-term Psychiatric Sequelae to Therapeutic Termination of Pregnancy," B. Lask, Br. J. Psychiatry 126:173-177, 1975. ''
:Fifty inpatients from a London hospital who underwent abortion were interviewed 6 months later. Thirty-two per cent had unfavorable outcomes. The outcome was considered unfavorable when the following criteria were fulfilled: (1) the patient regretted termination: (2) the patient had moderate or severe feelings of loss, guilt or self-reproach: (3) there was evidence of mental illness in the same degree as, or more severe than before the abortion. When moderate or severe adverse sequelae were reported, these were usually associated with depressive states. These varied in intensity from mild to sufficiently severe to necessitate hospital admission.

''"Women's Self-Reported Responses to Abortion," G.M. Burnell, M.A. Norfleet, The Journal of Psychology 12(l):71-76 ''
:A study of 158 women who were members of a prepaid health plan in northern California reported in responding to a mailed questionnaire found that 17% reported depression following abortion which was the highest endorsement under a section entitled -worsened adjustment after abortion. The length of time from the time of the abortion and the questionnaire varied. A majority of the women completed the questionnaire within one and a half years after abortion.

''"Long-term psychiatric follow-up," C. McCance, P. Olley, V. Edward in Experience with Abortion. Ed. G. Horobin, (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1973) 245-300. ''
:This study found that 20% of the original sample of women who underwent induced abortion were depressed 13-24 months thereafter according to the Beck Depression Inventory.

''"Psychological Responses of Women After First-Trimester Abortion," B Major et al, Arch Gen Psychiatry 57:777, 2000 ''
:20% of women had depression 2 years postabortion. Prepregnancy depression was a risk factor for postabortion depression. Negative postabortion emotions increased over time. Younger age and more children preabortion also predicted more negative abortion responses.

''"Emotional Distress Patterns Among Women Having First or Repeat Abortions," E.W. Freeman, K. Rickels, G.R. Huggins, Obstetrics and Gynecology 55(5):630, May, 1980. ''
:A study of 413 women at the University Hospital in 1977-78 using the SCL-90, a multidimensional self-report inventory measured depression before abortion and 2 weeks following abortion. The adjusted mean value prior to abortion was 1.06. After 2 weeks the adjusted mean value was 0.60 (one abortion) and 0.74 (two abortions). Women who repeated abortions showed significantly higher scores on interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation, phobic anxiety and sleep disturbance compared to women with one abortion.

''"Before and after therapeutic abortion," P. Mackenzie, Canadian Medical Association Journal 111:667, October 5, 1974.''
:A 1973 study at Queens University School of Medicine of 150 Canadian women two weeks post abortion had 53% respond to a questionnaire survey. Based on self reports of the women 39% said they were depressed a lot from the pregnancy (21% said they were a little depressed). Two weeks post abortion 4% said they were depressed a lot from the abortion and 28% said they were depressed a little and 39% said they were not at all depressed.

''"Induced abortion after feeling fetal movements: Its causes and emotional consequences," C. Brewer, J. Biosocial Science 10:203-208. ''
:In a study of 40 women who had abortions between 20-24 weeks gestation. Twenty-five were followed-up 30 months post abortion. Five reported feeling depressed about their abortion. One had taken time off from school or work for this reason. None had sought specialist advice.

==Long Term Depressive Reactions==
:: Defined here as reactions five years or more since abortion.

''"Psychological profile of dysphoric women post abortion," K.N. Franco, M. Tamburrino, N. Campbell, J. Pentz, S. Jurs, J. of the American Medical Women's Assoc. 44(4):113, July/Aug. 1989. ''
:In a survey of 81 women approximately 10 years post abortion who were in a patient led support group for women who described themselves as having poorly assimilated their abortion experience, the mean Beck Depression Inventory Score for all women studied was 5.3 (mild depression). For women with one abortion it was 4.7 (none to minimal depression). For women with multiple abortions it was 9.4 (moderate depression). Other risk factors for post abortion dysphoria were pre morbid psychiatric illness, lack of family support, ambivalence and feeling coerced into having a abortion.

''Post-Abortion Trauma, Jeanette Vought, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991). ''
:A study of 68 religiously oriented, primarily Protestant women who were studied 10-15 years post-abortion, 76% reported depression as one of the emotional effects of abortion.

''"A Survey of Postabortion Reactions," David C. Reardon, (Springfield, IL: The Elliot Institute for Social Science Research, 1987). ''
:In a 1987 Survey of Postabortion reactions among 100 women members of Women Exploited by Abortion an average of 11 years since their abortion, 87% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "After my abortion I experienced feelings of depression." Fifty per cent of these women were 20 years of age or younger at the time of their abortion.

''Psycho-Social Stress Following Abortion, Anne Speckhard, (Kansas City MO: Sheed & Ward, 1987). ''
:In a study of 30 women who reported chronic and long term stress from their abortion 92% expressed feelings of depression following abortion. Fifty per cent of these women had their abortion in the second trimester (46%) or third trimester (4%) of their pregnancy. The majority (64%) had their abortion 5-10 years previously, 20% were less than 5 years and 16% ranged from 11-25 years post abortion.

''"Depression associated with abortion and childbirth: A long-term analysis of the NLSY cohort," JR Cougle et al, Clinical Method & Health Research NetPrints, April 25, 2001 (Abstract)''
:This study used the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth which contains a number of psychological variables related to pregnancy outcome. Compared to post-childbirth women, women who had abortions were found to have significantly higher depression scores as measured an average of 10 years after their pregnancy outcome. Post-abortion women were also 41% more likely to score in the "high risk " range for clinical depression compared to non-aborting women. A self-assessment questionnaire administered in 1998 also found that aborting women were 73% more likely to complain of "depression, excessive worry, or nervous trouble of any kind" compared to women with other pregnancy outcomes.

''"Psychiatric history and mental status," W.L. Sands in Diagnosing Mental lllness:Evaluation in Psychiatry and Psychology, Eds. Freedman and Kaplan, (New York: Athenum, 1973) 31.''
:"The significance of abortions may not be revealed until later periods of emotional depression. During depressions occurring in the fifth or sixth decades of the patient's life, the psychiatrist frequently hears expressions of remorse and guilt concerning abortions that occurred twenty or more years earlier."

Violence

2008-08-14T14:37:41Z

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See also [[Suicide]]

==''"Wantedness" as a Factor in Child Abuse==

''"Child Abuse: A Study of the Child's Perspective," Philip G. Ney Child Abuse and Neglect 10:511-518(1986). ''
:In a study of 57 children admitted to the Child and Family Psychiatric Unit at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand, a three-way study of abuse experience via mother, child and staff was undertaken. When wantedness by mothers was compared to abuse, there was no significant correlation between mothers not wanting their child and either the extent or severity of any kind of abuse. Some 85% of these children were wanted after they were born. Mother's ambivalence about their pregnancies appears to have been greatest during the early stages.

''"The Hostility of Parents to Children: Some Notes on Infertility, Child Abuse and Abortion," Victor Calef, International Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy 1(1) :76, February 1972 ''
:A case of extensive therapy of a woman patient is described by a psychiatrist. The woman physically abused her children and also aborted an apparently "unwanted" pregnancy. The pregnancy was not, in fact, unwanted but due to pathological behavior had to be "destroyed." Unresolved conflicts in the woman's family of origin were uncovered, i.e., resentment against her father for failing to protect the woman from her cruel mother.

''Child Abuse: An Interactional Event, A. Kadushin and J.A. Martin, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1981) 236 ''
:A study of non-sexual physical abuse by parents in Wisconsin found that less than 5% of the mothers had considered either abortion or adoption as a means of "unburdening" themselves of the child. Three out of four parents had a positive reaction to the child at birth.

''"Antecedents of Child Abuse," W.A. Altemeier, S. O'Connor, P. Vietze, H. Sandler and K. Sherrod, Journal of Pediatrics 100(5):823 (1982) ''
:In a Vanderbilt University study of 1,400 low-income mothers, it was found that mothers who had physically injured their children did not differ significantly from the non-abusing mothers in money available to raise a child, in considering abortion or adoption, readiness for motherhood or current feelings about the baby; abusing mothers had more aggressive tendencies, were more likely to think they had unfair treatment as a child and were more likely to have lost a child to foster care or avoidable death.

''"Social aspects of the battered baby syndrome," M.S. Smith, R. Hanson and S. Noble, Br. J. Psychiatry 125:568(1974). ''
:A British study of 134 battered children under five years of age compared to children under five years who were emergency hospital admissions with no battering found that abortion had been considered by only 12% of the mothers of battered children vs. 2% of controls, which was not considered statistically significant. Family size and family income was similar between the two groups but battered children were more likely to be illegitimate and mothers of battered children tended to be more isolated than controls.

==Child Abuse and Its Relationship to Abortion==
: One of the arguments advanced for the legalization of abortion was that it would reduce child abuse. However, there is evidence that it may increase abuse and neglect of children as the following articles indicate.

''"Smoking during pregnancy and child maltreatment," J. Chessare J. Pascoe, and E. Baugh, International Journal for Bio-Social Research 8:1-6(1986). ''
:Women who continue to smoke during pregnancy had three times higher child abuse reporting rates in the 18 months following delivery than women who did not smoke during pregnancy. Ed. Note: women with a history of abortion are more likely to smoke during subsequent pregnancies compared to women with no history of abortion.

''"Maternal Perinatal Risk Factors and Child Abuse," M. Benedict, R. White and P. Comely, Child Abuse and Neglect 9:217-224(1985). ''
:A Johns Hopkins study of 532 Baltimore mothers in maltreating families (two-thirds black) found that mothers tended to be younger, have shorter birth intervals, less prenatal care and were significantly more likely to have had a prior stillbirth or reported abortion or a prior child death. Some 18% of abusing families had one or more prior stillbirth or abortion vs. 12% of non-abusing families. Where there were two stillbirths or abortions or a combination thereof, the rate was nearly doubled (4.3% vs. 2.4%). The authors called these findings "provocative" and concluded that reproductive history and the circumstances surrounding past pregnancies may provide important clues of what family dynamics may be related to subsequent maltreatment.

''"Smoking in pregnancy:a study of psychosocial and reproductive risk factors," AW Morales et al, J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 18(4):247, 1997 ''
: A British study found that women who were more likely to smoke during pregnancy were more likely to have had previous miscarriages and terminations, more likely to report marital difficulties, and more likely to physically discipline their one year old infants. see also "Smoking during pregnancy and child maltreatment," J Chessare et al, Int'l Journal for Biosocial Research 8:1, 1986 (Women who continued to smoke during pregnancy had three times higher child abuse reporting rates compared to women who did not smoke during pregnancy.)

''"Association of Drug Abuse and Child Abuse," PK Jaudes and E Ekwo, Child Abuse & Neglect 19(9): 1065-1075, 1995 ''
:A study at a Chicago urban medical center of children exposed to drugs in utero found that the risk of subsequent abuse or neglect was 80% higher among children whose mothers had previously planned abortion after controlling for confounding variables.

''"Drug Use Among Adolescent Mothers: Profile of Risk," Amaro, Cabral, Zuckerman, Pediatrics, 84(1):144, July 1989. ''
:In Boston inner city study of adolescent mothers in 1984-86, mothers with a prior elective abortion were twice as likely to use alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or opiates than non-drug users (33% v. 16%). Drug users were nearly three times more likely to report being threatened, abused or involved in fights during pregnancy than non-users (24% v. 9%).

''"Post-Abortion Trauma. 9 Steps to Recovery," Jeanette Vought, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991). ''
:In a study of 68 women in a post-abortion support group 10-15 years post-abortion, 32% reported lacking patience with their children, 29% reported sometimes being verbally or emotionally abusive with them, 20% acknowledged frequent anger toward their children, 15% admitted feelings of unexpected rage toward their children and 13% felt they over disciplined their children--29% also reported being over-protective of their children and 14.7% reported having difficulty bonding to their children.

''"Two Hidden Predisposing Factors in Child Abuse," Emanuel Lewis, Child Abuse and Neglect 3:327-330(1979). ''
:With all bereavement which occurs during or shortly before or after pregnancy, mourning tends to be inhibited. Quick replacement pregnancies impede the mourning of stillbirth; stillbirth can often lead to marital difficulty and if there is a family difficulty in containing violence, the child may be battered; child abuse is a pathological mourning reaction.

''"Relationship Between Abortion and Child Abuse, Philip," Ney, Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 24:610-620(1979). ''
:Death to Canadian children from social causes rapidly increased after early abortion became available on demand in 1969; British Columbia and Ontario, with the highest rates of abortion, are also the provinces with the highest rates of child abuse. Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, with low rates of abortion, have low rates of child abuse. Rates of increase of child abuse parallels increases in abortion. Rather than preventing child abuse, abortion on request may be a cause of the increase in battered and murdered children because, (1) Having an abortion may decrease an individual's instinctual restraint against the occasional rage felt toward those dependent on her care. (2) Allowing infants to die by permissive abortion might diminish the social taboo against aggressing the defenseless. (3) Abortion may devalue children, thus increases guilt and self-hatred, the parent may displace it onto a child. (5) A woman's choice for abortion increases the hostile frustration of some men, intensifying the battle of the sexes for which children are scapegoated. (6) Abortion of the first child may truncate the developing mother-infant bond, thereby diminishing future mothering capability. (7) A previous abortion may result in depression which interferes with the mother's capacity to bond to her newborn.

''"Induced Abortion as a Precipitating Factor in Child Abuse or Neglect: Case Studies," Association for Interdisciplinary Research Newsletter 4(1), Spring, 1991, p.7 ''
:Severe anger and hostility shortly before undergoing an induced abortion spilled over to precipitate an act of reported physical abuse on a 9 year old child by the mother.

===A Survey of Post-Abortion Reactions, David C. Reardon, (Springfield, Illinois: The Elliot Institute, 1987). ''
:In a 1987 survey of 100 women who were contacted through state Women Exploited by Abortion chapters/ 22% reported being sexually abused as a child and 22% reported being physically abused as a child.

''"The Spectrum of Fetal Abuse in Pregnant Women," John T. Condon Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 174(9):509-516, September 1986.''
:"The fetus is a (potential) recipient par excellence for projection and displacement. The symbiotic relationship between the mother and unborn child... can provide a setting in which ambivalence or hostility can be acted out as assault or maltreatment."

==Child Neglect or Failure to Bond==

''"The correlates of antenatal attachment in pregnant women," JT Condon et al, Br J Med Psychol 70(Pt. 4): 359-372, Dec, 1997. ''
:Women having low maternal-foetal attachment were characterized by high levels of depression and anxiety, low levels of support outside the partner relationship, and high levels of control, domination, and criticism within the partner relationship.

''"Infant Abortion and Child Abuse: Cause and Effect," Philip G. Ney, in The Psychological Consequences of Abortion Ed. D. Mall and W.F. Watts, (Washington D.C.: University Publications of America, 1979) ''
:Neglect of a subsequent child was related to the depression in a mother from a previous abortion.

''"Relationship Between Induced Abortion and Child Abuse and Neglect: Four Studies," Philip G. Ney, T. Fung, A.R. Wickett, Pre- and Perinatal Psychology Journal 8(1):43-63, Fall, 1993. ''
:A mother with a history of psychiatric problems and a prior abortion subsequently married and gave birth to a child. Although she was excited at the pregnancy "as soon as they handed me the baby, I handed him back. It was a weird sensation." Later when she returned home she began screaming and hitting her baby, tossing him violently on the bed and desperately trying to stop his crying, "I used to get pissed off when he cried. I never felt close, not as much as I thought I would." She concluded, "If I had had the first child, I would not have been frightened and wouldn't have this problem."

''"Some maladaptive syndromes of pregnancy and the puerperium," Richard L. Cohen, Obstetrics and Gynecology 27(4):562-570 (1966). ''
:A history of abortions, periods of sterility, traumatic deliveries, or loss of children...may interfere with the mother's emotional growth. Quoting J. Rose, "The Prevention of Mothering Breakdown Associated with Physical Abnormalities of the Infant" in Prevention of Mental Disorders in Children, G. Caplan ed. (New York: Basic Books, 1961.)

''Canonical Variates of Post-Abortion Syndrome, Helen P Vaughan, (Portsmouth, NH: Institute for Pregnancy Loss, 1990) 51 ''
:10% of stressed women felt that their abortion had a negative effect on subsequent bonding to and parenting children.

''"The disturbance of the mother-child relationship by unsuccessful attempts at abortion," G. Caplan, Mental Hygiene 38:67-80(1954). ''
:An unsuccessful attempt at abortion was found to be a direct cause of a disturbed mother-child relationship. Sixteen cases were studied.

''"Motivation of Surrogate Mothers: Initial Findings," Philip Parker, American Journal of Psychiatry 140(1):117-118, January 1983. ''
:In a study of 125 women who applied to be commercial surrogates, 35% either had a voluntary prior abortion (26%) or had relinquished a child for adoption (9%). Women felt, often unconsciously, that surrogate motherhood would help them master unresolved feelings of previous voluntary loss. Women stated, "It would be their baby, not mine," "I'm only an incubator," "I'd be nest watching" and, "I'll attach myself in a different way- hoping it's healthy." For an example of comment on commercial surrogacy, see "Death without dignity for commercial surrogacy: The case of Baby M. G. Annas," Hastings Center Report 18(2):21-24 (1988).

''"Antecedents of Child Abuse and Neglect in Premature Infants," R. Hunter, N. Kilstrom, E. Kraybill and F. Loda, Pediatrics 61(8):629-635, April 1978. ''
:In a study of 282 infants admitted to the newbom intensive care unit of a hospital, 255 were eventually discharged home to their parents. Ten of the 255 were subsequently reported for physical abuse (2) or neglect (8) during the first year of life. Reported families were noted to be severely isolated without adequate social support, frequent marital maladjustment, financial problems, poor use of medical services, inadequate child care arrangements, inadequate child spacing, lower birth weight, congenital defects in abused child at birth, expressed disappointment over the sex of the baby and 40% claimed to have seriously considered abortion, compared to only 7% of those who were not reported. Forty-one infants of the 255 discharged to their homes were considered high risk for abuse or neglect, yet few of these infants were reported for maltreatment. Parents of reported infants were most likely to be rated by the interviewer as impulsive, apathetic- futile, childish-dependent, or retarded or illiterate.

''"Breaking the Cycle in Abusive Families," R. Hunter and N. Kilstrom, American Journal of Psychiatry 136(10):1320 (1979) ''
:Repeat families representing 9 out of 10 families who had been reported primarily for neglect and who had been part of an earlier study/were compared with 40 nonrepeating families where there had been child abuse in the family of origin but not with current offspring. Repeating parents had less working through of childhood misfortunes. Non- repeaters were more active in churches or other social groups and were more hopeful. Ed. Note - Factors such as isolation, hopelessness, lack of social support and despair seemed to indicate a spiritual need in the abusing or neglecting families.

==Family Violence and Abortion==

''[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18275577?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Contraceptive use and associations with intimate partner violence among a population-based sample of New Zealand women.] Fanslow J, Whitehead A, Silva M, Robinson E. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2008 Feb;48(1):83-9.''
See also [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10526986 news report]

Women who had experienced domestic violence were twice as likely to have an abortion than other women (21% vs 10%). They were also more likely to have miscarriages (42% vs 28%). '''Need to check this source. News reports may be pointing to a different study by Fanslow.'''

''Prevalence of family violence amongst women attending an abortion clinic in New Zealand. Whitehead A, Fanslow J. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2005 Aug;45(4):321-4.''

ABSTACT: AIMS: To measure the prevalence of family violence reported by women seeking a termination of pregnancy (TOP). METHODS: A cross sectional survey involving consecutive women at one Health Waikato abortion clinic. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire in private counselling rooms. RESULTS: Sixty-two of the 125 women invited to participate did so (response rate: 49.6%). The reported lifetime prevalence of physical or sexual abuse was 50.8%. The reported lifetime prevalence of physical abuse was 43.3% and that of sexual abuse was 32.2%. The reported prevalence of physical abuse within the last year was 13.3%, and of sexual abuse within the last year was 8.5%. Of women reporting a lifetime history of physical abuse, 69% reported that her partner was the perpetrator/one of the perpetrators of abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated a high prevalence of family violence amongst women attending an abortion clinic. Consideration should be given to screening for family violence in abortion clinics in New Zealand. Screening should be accompanied by the provision of appropriate information and support for women with family violence issues.

''[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17461004?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed Termination of pregnancy: associations with partner violence and other factors in a national cohort of young Australian women.] Taft AJ, Watson LF. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007 Apr;31(2):135-42.
:OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between termination and other reproductive events, socio-demographic characteristics and experience of violence among a community-based national sample of young Australian women. METHODS: Using multiple logistic regression, we analysed data from the Younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health comprising 14,776 young women aged 18-23 in survey 1 (1996), of whom 9,683 aged 22-27 also responded to survey 2 (2000). We stratified respondents into those aged below 20 and those who were older at survey 1. We compared the characteristics associated with terminations among teenage women in 1996 (survey 1) with those of women aged over 20 in 1996 who had not then reported a termination and who responded to survey 2 in 2000. Finally, we compared the characteristics of women reporting terminations, births, preterm births and miscarriages. RESULTS: Women reporting teenage terminations were more likely to be in a de facto relationship (OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.17-3.21), less well educated (OR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.44-3.74), have no private health insurance, and be a victim of partner violence (OR = 3.11, 95% CI 1.76-5.49). Women reporting later terminations were also more likely to be abused by a partner (OR = 3.52, 95% CI 2.14-5.81).The relationship with violence held for the other reproductive events. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Partner violence is a strong predictor of termination and other reproductive outcomes among young Australian women. Education has a protective effect. Prevention and reduction of partner violence may reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancy.

''"Past Trauma and Present Functioning of Patients Attending a Women's Psychiatric Clinic," E.F.M. Borins, P.J. Forsythe, Am. J. Psychiatry 142(4): 460, April, 1985 ''
:Physical or sexual abuse was significantly related to abortion, and abortion and trauma were significantly correlated in a sample of 100 women attending a psychiatric clinic.

''"Women Psychiatric Outpatients Reporting Continuing Post-Abortion Distress: A Preliminary Inquiry," D. Hanley, H. Piersma, D. King, D. Larson. D. Foy, Presented at the Eight Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: Los Angeles, Oct. 23,1992. ''
:In a study of women at an outpatient mental health facility approximately two-thirds of post abortion women reported having been physically and/or sexually abused as children, adolescents, or adults before and/or after their abortions.

''"Child sexual abuse, HIV sexual risk, and gender relations of African-American women," GM Wingood, RJ DiClemente, Am J Prev. Med 13(5): 380-384, 1997 ''
:Women who reported a history of childhood sexual abuse were 50% more likely to have had an abortion.

''"Psychosocial and behavioral factors associated with physical and sexual abuse among HIV infected women," LA Bedimo et al, Int Conf AIDS, 1998; 12:219 (abstract no. 14185)''
:Among women attending a HIV outpatient program in New Orleans, Louisiana, 45% reported ever experiencing sexual abuse, 82% acquired HIV through heterosexual contact. Among those sexually abused, 27% first experienced it before the age of 17. Factors associated with a history of sexual abuse included having a history of abortion (33% vs. 9%).

''"The Prevalence of Domestic Violence Among Women Seeking Abortion," SL Glander et al, Obstetrics and Gynecology 91:1002, 1996 ''
:A study of urban women seeking abortions at a single abortion facility found that 39.5% reported prior abuse.

''"Stressful Life Events and Alcohol Problems among Women Seen at a Detoxification Center," E.R. Morrissey and M.A. Schuckit, J. Studies on Alcohol 39(9):1559 (1978). ''
:A 1976 Seattle, Washington study of women at a detoxification center found that problem drinkers and secondary alcoholics were found to be significantly more likely to have experienced alcoholic related problems subsequent to an abortion. Sixty-four percent of the secondary alcoholics and 32% of the problem drinkers reported physical fights while drinking.

''Psycho-Social Stress Following Abortion, Anne Speckhard (Kansas City, MO: Sheed&Ward, 1987). ''
:In a study of 30 women reporting stress following abortion 92% reported feelings of anger, rage or hostility toward others following the abortion. Feelings of anger were alternately directed at self, one's partner, medical professionals or significant others who were viewed as having taken a coercive role in the abortion decision.

''"Women Who Seek Therapeutic Abortion: A Comparison with women Who Complete Their Pregnancies," C. Ford, P. Castelnuovo-Tedesco, K. Long, American Journal of Psychiatry 129(5):58/ November, 1972.''
:In a study of women seeking abortion for mental health reasons compared with a control group of pregnant women not seeking abortion, the abortion group was found to be more likely to have received psychiatric treatment (42.5% v. 21.1%) and much more likely to exhibit masochistic behavior patterns (35% v. 6%). Many women in the abortion group had been involved in relationships with men which they described as abusive and assaultive. Other women had engaged in self-destructive behavior such as cutting themselves with knives or scissors. Other women were involved in self-defeating behavior such as supporting irresponsible husbands or were married to alcoholics and/or philanderers.

==Abortion as a Risk Factor for Violence During Pregnancy==

''"Violence During Pregnancy and Substance Abuse," Amaro, Fried, Cabral, Zuckerman, Am. J. Public Health 80(5): 575, May, 1990. ''
:A prospective study of 1243 pregnant women who were predominately poor, urban minority women at Boston City Hospital during 1984-87 found that 7% reported physical or sexual violence during pregnancy. A prior elective abortion increased the relative risk of violence during pregnancy. (RR 1.68) Victims of violence were more likely to have had a history of depression, suicide, current unhappy feelings about the pregnancy, lack of support during pregnancy and were more likely to be heavy users of alcohol or illicit drugs.

''"Domestic violence during pregnancy. The prevalence of physical injuries, substance abuse, abortions and miscarriages," LW Hedin, PO Janson , Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 79(8):625-630, 2000. ''
:Among 207 women from three different antenatal clinics in Goteborg, Sweden, 30 were abused during the current pregnancy. A higher proportion of abused women had undergone one or more abortions compared to the non-abused group.

''"Pregnancy outcomes and health care use: Effects of abuse," J Webster et al, Am J Obstet Gynecol 174:769, 1996 ''
:An Australian hospital evaluated past and present abuse during pregnancy and found that abused women were significantly more likely to have had a higher incidence of miscarriage, two or more induced abortions, or neonatal death compared to non-abused women.

''Beyond Choice, Don Baker, (Portland, Oregon: Multonomah Press, 1985). ''
:A father still grieving the loss of his first child by abortion (coerced by his wife's parents) was upset about a subsequent pregnancy which occurred shortly after the abortion. Once in a fit of anger during an argument over finances, he struck his pregnant wife in the stomach. Five days after the birth of the baby, he left for work and never returned. A brief note said, "I'm sorry Deb. We couldn't have the baby we wanted and now we have got one I can't stand. It's too much for me to handle, Tim." His wife, Debbie, never saw Tim again.

''"Physical Abuse in Pregnancy," Hillard, Obstetrics and Gynecology 66:185 (1985). ''
:In a study of 742 pregnant women seen at the University of Virginia Obstetric clinics in 1982-83,10.9% indicated they had experienced physical abuse at some time in the past; 4.1% reported abuse during their current pregnancy. Those in currently abusive relationships were more likely to have considered abortion (34%) compared to controls (21%).

''"Protecting the Children of Battered Women," Richard M. Tolman, Journal of Interpersonal Violence 3(4):476-483, December 1988. ''
:A recent example of induced abortion as a result of coercion and violence of the father against the mother and unborn child is reported. The husband beat the wife extensively over the course of a 13-year marriage. He beat her during pregnancies, punching her in the face and stomach, and kicking her between the legs. Following the birth of their first two children, he had forced her to have two abortions she did not want. The wife became pregnant a third time when the husband forced her to have sex with him which resulted in the birth of their third child after the wife refused to have an abortion. The husband reportedly called the third child a "raw piece of meat." The case was referred to by social workers as "not atypical."

''"Sixty Battered Women," Elaine Hilberman and Kit Munson, Victimology 2:460- 470(1977-1978). ''
:An unborn child may be used as a focal point for family violence. In a study of sixty battered women referred by the medical staff of a rural health clinic, the women involved reported changes in the pattern of family violence during pregnancy. There was increasing abuse for some with the pregnant abdomen replacing face and breasts as the target for battering with abortions and premature births as the result. Others reported less abuse with pregnancy and one woman deliberately stayed pregnant to avoid violence.

==Homicide of Women During and Following Pregnancy==

''"Pregnancy-associated deaths in Finland 1987-1994- definition problems and benefits of record linkage," M Gissler et al, Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 76:651-657, 1997. ''
:A Finnish register linkage study identified all deaths that occurred up to 1 year after an ended pregnancy. The mortality rate was 27 per 100,000 births and 101 per 100,000 abortions. Compared to women of reproductive age with no pregnancy (1.0), the relative risk of death from homicide following abortion was 4.33 (1.03-18.2, 95% CI) compared to a relative risk of 0.31 ( 0.02-4.42, 95% CI) following childbirth.

''"Enhanced Surveillance for Pregnancy-Associated Mortality-Maryland, 1993-1998," IL Horton and D Cheng, JAMA 285(11): 1455-1459, 2001. ''
:247 pregnancy-associated deaths were identified from any cause during pregnancy or within 1 year of delivery during 1993-1998. 182 deaths (73.7% ) of the pregnancy- associated deaths followed a live birth and 53 deaths occurred among pregnant women who were undelivered; 84 deaths occurred within 42 days of delivery, and 103 deaths occurred 43-365 days following delivery or termination of pregnancy; 50 deaths from homicide were identified among pregnant women or women who had been recently pregnant. An editorial noted that the enhanced surveillance revealed that when an expanded definition of maternal mortality is used, threats from a woman's social environment, like homicide, may be found to be more deadly than those from a biological environment.

''"Hidden from View: violent deaths among pregnant women in the District of Columbia, 1988 -1996," CJ Krulewitch et al, J Midwifery Women's Health 46(1): 4-10, 2001 ''
:651 autopsy charts were examined from 1988-1996 in the DC office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Among these, 30 (4.6%) documented evidence of pregnancy and 95.4% were not pregnant. Among the 30 deaths where pregnancy was documented, 13 (43.3%) were victims of homicide. Among non-pregnant women, homicide was the leading manner of death (32.3%); 75% of those who were pregnant died from gunshot trauma; 3 out of 4 women with evidence of pregnancy who were victims of homicide were in their first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Many of the accused perpetrators in the study had the same address as the victim which suggests the possibility of domestic violence.

''"Violence during Pregnancy and Substance Use," H Amaro et al, Am J Public Health 80(5): 575, 1990 ''
:A prior elective abortion increased the risk of violence during pregnancy by 68%, compared to no abortion history among a sample of poor, urban, mostly minority women.

''"Pregnancy outcomes and health care use: Effects of abuse," J Webster et al, Am J Obstet Gynecol 174:769, 1996 ''
:An Australian hospital evaluated past and present abuse during pregnancy and found that abused women were significantly more likely to have had a higher incidence of miscarriage, two or more induced abortions, or neonatal death compared to non-abused women.

''"Domestic violence during pregnancy," LW Hedin and PO Janson, Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 79:625-630, 2000''
:A Swedish study compared physically abused women with non-abused women during pregnancy. In the group of abused women a higher proportion had undergone one or more abortions than in the non-abused group. Smoking and alcohol use were strongly associated with physical and sexual abuse.

''"Mediation of Abusive Childhood Experiences: Dissociation and Negative Life Outcomes," E Becker-Lausen , Am J Orthopsychiatry 65(4): 560, 1995 ''
: Dissociation was significantly related to reports of females of previously becoming pregnant and having an abortion in high school. Individuals who detach from reality by dissociation may disregard clues that may otherwise warn them of danger and become " sitting ducks" for later abuse.

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==''"Wantedness" as a Factor in Child Abuse==

''"Child Abuse: A Study of the Child's Perspective," Philip G. Ney Child Abuse and Neglect 10:511-518(1986). ''
:In a study of 57 children admitted to the Child and Family Psychiatric Unit at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand, a three-way study of abuse experience via mother, child and staff was undertaken. When wantedness by mothers was compared to abuse, there was no significant correlation between mothers not wanting their child and either the extent or severity of any kind of abuse. Some 85% of these children were wanted after they were born. Mother's ambivalence about their pregnancies appears to have been greatest during the early stages.

''"The Hostility of Parents to Children: Some Notes on Infertility, Child Abuse and Abortion," Victor Calef, International Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy 1(1) :76, February 1972 ''
:A case of extensive therapy of a woman patient is described by a psychiatrist. The woman physically abused her children and also aborted an apparently "unwanted" pregnancy. The pregnancy was not, in fact, unwanted but due to pathological behavior had to be "destroyed." Unresolved conflicts in the woman's family of origin were uncovered, i.e., resentment against her father for failing to protect the woman from her cruel mother.

''Child Abuse: An Interactional Event, A. Kadushin and J.A. Martin, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1981) 236 ''
:A study of non-sexual physical abuse by parents in Wisconsin found that less than 5% of the mothers had considered either abortion or adoption as a means of "unburdening" themselves of the child. Three out of four parents had a positive reaction to the child at birth.

''"Antecedents of Child Abuse," W.A. Altemeier, S. O'Connor, P. Vietze, H. Sandler and K. Sherrod, Journal of Pediatrics 100(5):823 (1982) ''
:In a Vanderbilt University study of 1,400 low-income mothers, it was found that mothers who had physically injured their children did not differ significantly from the non-abusing mothers in money available to raise a child, in considering abortion or adoption, readiness for motherhood or current feelings about the baby; abusing mothers had more aggressive tendencies, were more likely to think they had unfair treatment as a child and were more likely to have lost a child to foster care or avoidable death.

''"Social aspects of the battered baby syndrome," M.S. Smith, R. Hanson and S. Noble, Br. J. Psychiatry 125:568(1974). ''
:A British study of 134 battered children under five years of age compared to children under five years who were emergency hospital admissions with no battering found that abortion had been considered by only 12% of the mothers of battered children vs. 2% of controls, which was not considered statistically significant. Family size and family income was similar between the two groups but battered children were more likely to be illegitimate and mothers of battered children tended to be more isolated than controls.

==Child Abuse and Its Relationship to Abortion==
: One of the arguments advanced for the legalization of abortion was that it would reduce child abuse. However, there is evidence that it may increase abuse and neglect of children as the following articles indicate.

''"Smoking during pregnancy and child maltreatment," J. Chessare J. Pascoe, and E. Baugh, International Journal for Bio-Social Research 8:1-6(1986). ''
:Women who continue to smoke during pregnancy had three times higher child abuse reporting rates in the 18 months following delivery than women who did not smoke during pregnancy. Ed. Note: women with a history of abortion are more likely to smoke during subsequent pregnancies compared to women with no history of abortion.

''"Maternal Perinatal Risk Factors and Child Abuse," M. Benedict, R. White and P. Comely, Child Abuse and Neglect 9:217-224(1985). ''
:A Johns Hopkins study of 532 Baltimore mothers in maltreating families (two-thirds black) found that mothers tended to be younger, have shorter birth intervals, less prenatal care and were significantly more likely to have had a prior stillbirth or reported abortion or a prior child death. Some 18% of abusing families had one or more prior stillbirth or abortion vs. 12% of non-abusing families. Where there were two stillbirths or abortions or a combination thereof, the rate was nearly doubled (4.3% vs. 2.4%). The authors called these findings "provocative" and concluded that reproductive history and the circumstances surrounding past pregnancies may provide important clues of what family dynamics may be related to subsequent maltreatment.

''"Smoking in pregnancy:a study of psychosocial and reproductive risk factors," AW Morales et al, J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 18(4):247, 1997 ''
: A British study found that women who were more likely to smoke during pregnancy were more likely to have had previous miscarriages and terminations, more likely to report marital difficulties, and more likely to physically discipline their one year old infants. see also "Smoking during pregnancy and child maltreatment," J Chessare et al, Int'l Journal for Biosocial Research 8:1, 1986 (Women who continued to smoke during pregnancy had three times higher child abuse reporting rates compared to women who did not smoke during pregnancy.)

''"Association of Drug Abuse and Child Abuse," PK Jaudes and E Ekwo, Child Abuse & Neglect 19(9): 1065-1075, 1995 ''
:A study at a Chicago urban medical center of children exposed to drugs in utero found that the risk of subsequent abuse or neglect was 80% higher among children whose mothers had previously planned abortion after controlling for confounding variables.

''"Drug Use Among Adolescent Mothers: Profile of Risk," Amaro, Cabral, Zuckerman, Pediatrics, 84(1):144, July 1989. ''
:In Boston inner city study of adolescent mothers in 1984-86, mothers with a prior elective abortion were twice as likely to use alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or opiates than non-drug users (33% v. 16%). Drug users were nearly three times more likely to report being threatened, abused or involved in fights during pregnancy than non-users (24% v. 9%).

''"Post-Abortion Trauma. 9 Steps to Recovery," Jeanette Vought, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991). ''
:In a study of 68 women in a post-abortion support group 10-15 years post-abortion, 32% reported lacking patience with their children, 29% reported sometimes being verbally or emotionally abusive with them, 20% acknowledged frequent anger toward their children, 15% admitted feelings of unexpected rage toward their children and 13% felt they over disciplined their children--29% also reported being over-protective of their children and 14.7% reported having difficulty bonding to their children.

''"Two Hidden Predisposing Factors in Child Abuse," Emanuel Lewis, Child Abuse and Neglect 3:327-330(1979). ''
:With all bereavement which occurs during or shortly before or after pregnancy, mourning tends to be inhibited. Quick replacement pregnancies impede the mourning of stillbirth; stillbirth can often lead to marital difficulty and if there is a family difficulty in containing violence, the child may be battered; child abuse is a pathological mourning reaction.

''"Relationship Between Abortion and Child Abuse, Philip," Ney, Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 24:610-620(1979). ''
:Death to Canadian children from social causes rapidly increased after early abortion became available on demand in 1969; British Columbia and Ontario, with the highest rates of abortion, are also the provinces with the highest rates of child abuse. Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, with low rates of abortion, have low rates of child abuse. Rates of increase of child abuse parallels increases in abortion. Rather than preventing child abuse, abortion on request may be a cause of the increase in battered and murdered children because, (1) Having an abortion may decrease an individual's instinctual restraint against the occasional rage felt toward those dependent on her care. (2) Allowing infants to die by permissive abortion might diminish the social taboo against aggressing the defenseless. (3) Abortion may devalue children, thus increases guilt and self-hatred, the parent may displace it onto a child. (5) A woman's choice for abortion increases the hostile frustration of some men, intensifying the battle of the sexes for which children are scapegoated. (6) Abortion of the first child may truncate the developing mother-infant bond, thereby diminishing future mothering capability. (7) A previous abortion may result in depression which interferes with the mother's capacity to bond to her newborn.

''"Induced Abortion as a Precipitating Factor in Child Abuse or Neglect: Case Studies," Association for Interdisciplinary Research Newsletter 4(1), Spring, 1991, p.7 ''
:Severe anger and hostility shortly before undergoing an induced abortion spilled over to precipitate an act of reported physical abuse on a 9 year old child by the mother.

===A Survey of Post-Abortion Reactions, David C. Reardon, (Springfield, Illinois: The Elliot Institute, 1987). ''
:In a 1987 survey of 100 women who were contacted through state Women Exploited by Abortion chapters/ 22% reported being sexually abused as a child and 22% reported being physically abused as a child.

''"The Spectrum of Fetal Abuse in Pregnant Women," John T. Condon Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 174(9):509-516, September 1986.''
:"The fetus is a (potential) recipient par excellence for projection and displacement. The symbiotic relationship between the mother and unborn child... can provide a setting in which ambivalence or hostility can be acted out as assault or maltreatment."

==Child Neglect or Failure to Bond==

''"The correlates of antenatal attachment in pregnant women," JT Condon et al, Br J Med Psychol 70(Pt. 4): 359-372, Dec, 1997. ''
:Women having low maternal-foetal attachment were characterized by high levels of depression and anxiety, low levels of support outside the partner relationship, and high levels of control, domination, and criticism within the partner relationship.

''"Infant Abortion and Child Abuse: Cause and Effect," Philip G. Ney, in The Psychological Consequences of Abortion Ed. D. Mall and W.F. Watts, (Washington D.C.: University Publications of America, 1979) ''
:Neglect of a subsequent child was related to the depression in a mother from a previous abortion.

''"Relationship Between Induced Abortion and Child Abuse and Neglect: Four Studies," Philip G. Ney, T. Fung, A.R. Wickett, Pre- and Perinatal Psychology Journal 8(1):43-63, Fall, 1993. ''
:A mother with a history of psychiatric problems and a prior abortion subsequently married and gave birth to a child. Although she was excited at the pregnancy "as soon as they handed me the baby, I handed him back. It was a weird sensation." Later when she returned home she began screaming and hitting her baby, tossing him violently on the bed and desperately trying to stop his crying, "I used to get pissed off when he cried. I never felt close, not as much as I thought I would." She concluded, "If I had had the first child, I would not have been frightened and wouldn't have this problem."

''"Some maladaptive syndromes of pregnancy and the puerperium," Richard L. Cohen, Obstetrics and Gynecology 27(4):562-570 (1966). ''
:A history of abortions, periods of sterility, traumatic deliveries, or loss of children...may interfere with the mother's emotional growth. Quoting J. Rose, "The Prevention of Mothering Breakdown Associated with Physical Abnormalities of the Infant" in Prevention of Mental Disorders in Children, G. Caplan ed. (New York: Basic Books, 1961.)

''Canonical Variates of Post-Abortion Syndrome, Helen P Vaughan, (Portsmouth, NH: Institute for Pregnancy Loss, 1990) 51 ''
:10% of stressed women felt that their abortion had a negative effect on subsequent bonding to and parenting children.

''"The disturbance of the mother-child relationship by unsuccessful attempts at abortion," G. Caplan, Mental Hygiene 38:67-80(1954). ''
:An unsuccessful attempt at abortion was found to be a direct cause of a disturbed mother-child relationship. Sixteen cases were studied.

''"Motivation of Surrogate Mothers: Initial Findings," Philip Parker, American Journal of Psychiatry 140(1):117-118, January 1983. ''
:In a study of 125 women who applied to be commercial surrogates, 35% either had a voluntary prior abortion (26%) or had relinquished a child for adoption (9%). Women felt, often unconsciously, that surrogate motherhood would help them master unresolved feelings of previous voluntary loss. Women stated, "It would be their baby, not mine," "I'm only an incubator," "I'd be nest watching" and, "I'll attach myself in a different way- hoping it's healthy." For an example of comment on commercial surrogacy, see "Death without dignity for commercial surrogacy: The case of Baby M. G. Annas," Hastings Center Report 18(2):21-24 (1988).

''"Antecedents of Child Abuse and Neglect in Premature Infants," R. Hunter, N. Kilstrom, E. Kraybill and F. Loda, Pediatrics 61(8):629-635, April 1978. ''
:In a study of 282 infants admitted to the newbom intensive care unit of a hospital, 255 were eventually discharged home to their parents. Ten of the 255 were subsequently reported for physical abuse (2) or neglect (8) during the first year of life. Reported families were noted to be severely isolated without adequate social support, frequent marital maladjustment, financial problems, poor use of medical services, inadequate child care arrangements, inadequate child spacing, lower birth weight, congenital defects in abused child at birth, expressed disappointment over the sex of the baby and 40% claimed to have seriously considered abortion, compared to only 7% of those who were not reported. Forty-one infants of the 255 discharged to their homes were considered high risk for abuse or neglect, yet few of these infants were reported for maltreatment. Parents of reported infants were most likely to be rated by the interviewer as impulsive, apathetic- futile, childish-dependent, or retarded or illiterate.

''"Breaking the Cycle in Abusive Families," R. Hunter and N. Kilstrom, American Journal of Psychiatry 136(10):1320 (1979) ''
:Repeat families representing 9 out of 10 families who had been reported primarily for neglect and who had been part of an earlier study/were compared with 40 nonrepeating families where there had been child abuse in the family of origin but not with current offspring. Repeating parents had less working through of childhood misfortunes. Non- repeaters were more active in churches or other social groups and were more hopeful. Ed. Note - Factors such as isolation, hopelessness, lack of social support and despair seemed to indicate a spiritual need in the abusing or neglecting families.

==Family Violence and Abortion==

''[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18275577?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Contraceptive use and associations with intimate partner violence among a population-based sample of New Zealand women.] Fanslow J, Whitehead A, Silva M, Robinson E. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2008 Feb;48(1):83-9.''
See also [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10526986 news report]

Women who had experienced domestic violence were twice as likely to have an abortion than other women (21% vs 10%). They were also more likely to have miscarriages (42% vs 28%).

''[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17461004?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed Termination of pregnancy: associations with partner violence and other factors in a national cohort of young Australian women.] Taft AJ, Watson LF. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007 Apr;31(2):135-42.
:OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between termination and other reproductive events, socio-demographic characteristics and experience of violence among a community-based national sample of young Australian women. METHODS: Using multiple logistic regression, we analysed data from the Younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health comprising 14,776 young women aged 18-23 in survey 1 (1996), of whom 9,683 aged 22-27 also responded to survey 2 (2000). We stratified respondents into those aged below 20 and those who were older at survey 1. We compared the characteristics associated with terminations among teenage women in 1996 (survey 1) with those of women aged over 20 in 1996 who had not then reported a termination and who responded to survey 2 in 2000. Finally, we compared the characteristics of women reporting terminations, births, preterm births and miscarriages. RESULTS: Women reporting teenage terminations were more likely to be in a de facto relationship (OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.17-3.21), less well educated (OR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.44-3.74), have no private health insurance, and be a victim of partner violence (OR = 3.11, 95% CI 1.76-5.49). Women reporting later terminations were also more likely to be abused by a partner (OR = 3.52, 95% CI 2.14-5.81).The relationship with violence held for the other reproductive events. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Partner violence is a strong predictor of termination and other reproductive outcomes among young Australian women. Education has a protective effect. Prevention and reduction of partner violence may reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancy.

''"Past Trauma and Present Functioning of Patients Attending a Women's Psychiatric Clinic," E.F.M. Borins, P.J. Forsythe, Am. J. Psychiatry 142(4): 460, April, 1985 ''
:Physical or sexual abuse was significantly related to abortion, and abortion and trauma were significantly correlated in a sample of 100 women attending a psychiatric clinic.

''"Women Psychiatric Outpatients Reporting Continuing Post-Abortion Distress: A Preliminary Inquiry," D. Hanley, H. Piersma, D. King, D. Larson. D. Foy, Presented at the Eight Annual Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: Los Angeles, Oct. 23,1992. ''
:In a study of women at an outpatient mental health facility approximately two-thirds of post abortion women reported having been physically and/or sexually abused as children, adolescents, or adults before and/or after their abortions.

''"Child sexual abuse, HIV sexual risk, and gender relations of African-American women," GM Wingood, RJ DiClemente, Am J Prev. Med 13(5): 380-384, 1997 ''
:Women who reported a history of childhood sexual abuse were 50% more likely to have had an abortion.

''"Psychosocial and behavioral factors associated with physical and sexual abuse among HIV infected women," LA Bedimo et al, Int Conf AIDS, 1998; 12:219 (abstract no. 14185)''
:Among women attending a HIV outpatient program in New Orleans, Louisiana, 45% reported ever experiencing sexual abuse, 82% acquired HIV through heterosexual contact. Among those sexually abused, 27% first experienced it before the age of 17. Factors associated with a history of sexual abuse included having a history of abortion (33% vs. 9%).

''"The Prevalence of Domestic Violence Among Women Seeking Abortion," SL Glander et al, Obstetrics and Gynecology 91:1002, 1996 ''
:A study of urban women seeking abortions at a single abortion facility found that 39.5% reported prior abuse.

''"Stressful Life Events and Alcohol Problems among Women Seen at a Detoxification Center," E.R. Morrissey and M.A. Schuckit, J. Studies on Alcohol 39(9):1559 (1978). ''
:A 1976 Seattle, Washington study of women at a detoxification center found that problem drinkers and secondary alcoholics were found to be significantly more likely to have experienced alcoholic related problems subsequent to an abortion. Sixty-four percent of the secondary alcoholics and 32% of the problem drinkers reported physical fights while drinking.

''Psycho-Social Stress Following Abortion, Anne Speckhard (Kansas City, MO: Sheed&Ward, 1987). ''
:In a study of 30 women reporting stress following abortion 92% reported feelings of anger, rage or hostility toward others following the abortion. Feelings of anger were alternately directed at self, one's partner, medical professionals or significant others who were viewed as having taken a coercive role in the abortion decision.

''"Women Who Seek Therapeutic Abortion: A Comparison with women Who Complete Their Pregnancies," C. Ford, P. Castelnuovo-Tedesco, K. Long, American Journal of Psychiatry 129(5):58/ November, 1972.''
:In a study of women seeking abortion for mental health reasons compared with a control group of pregnant women not seeking abortion, the abortion group was found to be more likely to have received psychiatric treatment (42.5% v. 21.1%) and much more likely to exhibit masochistic behavior patterns (35% v. 6%). Many women in the abortion group had been involved in relationships with men which they described as abusive and assaultive. Other women had engaged in self-destructive behavior such as cutting themselves with knives or scissors. Other women were involved in self-defeating behavior such as supporting irresponsible husbands or were married to alcoholics and/or philanderers.

==Abortion as a Risk Factor for Violence During Pregnancy==

''"Violence During Pregnancy and Substance Abuse," Amaro, Fried, Cabral, Zuckerman, Am. J. Public Health 80(5): 575, May, 1990. ''
:A prospective study of 1243 pregnant women who were predominately poor, urban minority women at Boston City Hospital during 1984-87 found that 7% reported physical or sexual violence during pregnancy. A prior elective abortion increased the relative risk of violence during pregnancy. (RR 1.68) Victims of violence were more likely to have had a history of depression, suicide, current unhappy feelings about the pregnancy, lack of support during pregnancy and were more likely to be heavy users of alcohol or illicit drugs.

''"Domestic violence during pregnancy. The prevalence of physical injuries, substance abuse, abortions and miscarriages," LW Hedin, PO Janson , Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 79(8):625-630, 2000. ''
:Among 207 women from three different antenatal clinics in Goteborg, Sweden, 30 were abused during the current pregnancy. A higher proportion of abused women had undergone one or more abortions compared to the non-abused group.

''"Pregnancy outcomes and health care use: Effects of abuse," J Webster et al, Am J Obstet Gynecol 174:769, 1996 ''
:An Australian hospital evaluated past and present abuse during pregnancy and found that abused women were significantly more likely to have had a higher incidence of miscarriage, two or more induced abortions, or neonatal death compared to non-abused women.

''Beyond Choice, Don Baker, (Portland, Oregon: Multonomah Press, 1985). ''
:A father still grieving the loss of his first child by abortion (coerced by his wife's parents) was upset about a subsequent pregnancy which occurred shortly after the abortion. Once in a fit of anger during an argument over finances, he struck his pregnant wife in the stomach. Five days after the birth of the baby, he left for work and never returned. A brief note said, "I'm sorry Deb. We couldn't have the baby we wanted and now we have got one I can't stand. It's too much for me to handle, Tim." His wife, Debbie, never saw Tim again.

''"Physical Abuse in Pregnancy," Hillard, Obstetrics and Gynecology 66:185 (1985). ''
:In a study of 742 pregnant women seen at the University of Virginia Obstetric clinics in 1982-83,10.9% indicated they had experienced physical abuse at some time in the past; 4.1% reported abuse during their current pregnancy. Those in currently abusive relationships were more likely to have considered abortion (34%) compared to controls (21%).

''"Protecting the Children of Battered Women," Richard M. Tolman, Journal of Interpersonal Violence 3(4):476-483, December 1988. ''
:A recent example of induced abortion as a result of coercion and violence of the father against the mother and unborn child is reported. The husband beat the wife extensively over the course of a 13-year marriage. He beat her during pregnancies, punching her in the face and stomach, and kicking her between the legs. Following the birth of their first two children, he had forced her to have two abortions she did not want. The wife became pregnant a third time when the husband forced her to have sex with him which resulted in the birth of their third child after the wife refused to have an abortion. The husband reportedly called the third child a "raw piece of meat." The case was referred to by social workers as "not atypical."

''"Sixty Battered Women," Elaine Hilberman and Kit Munson, Victimology 2:460- 470(1977-1978). ''
:An unborn child may be used as a focal point for family violence. In a study of sixty battered women referred by the medical staff of a rural health clinic, the women involved reported changes in the pattern of family violence during pregnancy. There was increasing abuse for some with the pregnant abdomen replacing face and breasts as the target for battering with abortions and premature births as the result. Others reported less abuse with pregnancy and one woman deliberately stayed pregnant to avoid violence.

==Homicide of Women During and Following Pregnancy==

''"Pregnancy-associated deaths in Finland 1987-1994- definition problems and benefits of record linkage," M Gissler et al, Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 76:651-657, 1997. ''
:A Finnish register linkage study identified all deaths that occurred up to 1 year after an ended pregnancy. The mortality rate was 27 per 100,000 births and 101 per 100,000 abortions. Compared to women of reproductive age with no pregnancy (1.0), the relative risk of death from homicide following abortion was 4.33 (1.03-18.2, 95% CI) compared to a relative risk of 0.31 ( 0.02-4.42, 95% CI) following childbirth.

''"Enhanced Surveillance for Pregnancy-Associated Mortality-Maryland, 1993-1998," IL Horton and D Cheng, JAMA 285(11): 1455-1459, 2001. ''
:247 pregnancy-associated deaths were identified from any cause during pregnancy or within 1 year of delivery during 1993-1998. 182 deaths (73.7% ) of the pregnancy- associated deaths followed a live birth and 53 deaths occurred among pregnant women who were undelivered; 84 deaths occurred within 42 days of delivery, and 103 deaths occurred 43-365 days following delivery or termination of pregnancy; 50 deaths from homicide were identified among pregnant women or women who had been recently pregnant. An editorial noted that the enhanced surveillance revealed that when an expanded definition of maternal mortality is used, threats from a woman's social environment, like homicide, may be found to be more deadly than those from a biological environment.

''"Hidden from View: violent deaths among pregnant women in the District of Columbia, 1988 -1996," CJ Krulewitch et al, J Midwifery Women's Health 46(1): 4-10, 2001 ''
:651 autopsy charts were examined from 1988-1996 in the DC office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Among these, 30 (4.6%) documented evidence of pregnancy and 95.4% were not pregnant. Among the 30 deaths where pregnancy was documented, 13 (43.3%) were victims of homicide. Among non-pregnant women, homicide was the leading manner of death (32.3%); 75% of those who were pregnant died from gunshot trauma; 3 out of 4 women with evidence of pregnancy who were victims of homicide were in their first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Many of the accused perpetrators in the study had the same address as the victim which suggests the possibility of domestic violence.

''"Violence during Pregnancy and Substance Use," H Amaro et al, Am J Public Health 80(5): 575, 1990 ''
:A prior elective abortion increased the risk of violence during pregnancy by 68%, compared to no abortion history among a sample of poor, urban, mostly minority women.

''"Pregnancy outcomes and health care use: Effects of abuse," J Webster et al, Am J Obstet Gynecol 174:769, 1996 ''
:An Australian hospital evaluated past and present abuse during pregnancy and found that abused women were significantly more likely to have had a higher incidence of miscarriage, two or more induced abortions, or neonatal death compared to non-abused women.

''"Domestic violence during pregnancy," LW Hedin and PO Janson, Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 79:625-630, 2000''
:A Swedish study compared physically abused women with non-abused women during pregnancy. In the group of abused women a higher proportion had undergone one or more abortions than in the non-abused group. Smoking and alcohol use were strongly associated with physical and sexual abuse.

''"Mediation of Abusive Childhood Experiences: Dissociation and Negative Life Outcomes," E Becker-Lausen , Am J Orthopsychiatry 65(4): 560, 1995 ''
: Dissociation was significantly related to reports of females of previously becoming pregnant and having an abortion in high school. Individuals who detach from reality by dissociation may disregard clues that may otherwise warn them of danger and become " sitting ducks" for later abuse.

APA Abortion Report

2008-08-13T16:52:50Z

Martha:

APA Abortion Report

2008-08-13T14:15:07Z

Martha: add gilchrist link

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T19:55:08Z

Martha: /* Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings */

==Biography==

Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara.[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] She has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. She was a co-author of the 1989 APA task force report which criticized Koop's failure to white-wash abortion.

*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. [http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/151/7/979?ijkey=3f9906ac0d170707f53e1aa2124d6d6c1dd3d2a2&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha Full Copy - Free]</ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [[Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion]] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explaining in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported [by the self-attribution of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion and also by clinical experience of counselors who have successfully treated post-abortion depression],” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

In addition, Major's lack of concern for accuracy is demonstrated by her very inaccurate description of the studies cited by Reardon in regard to the quote she trucated and criticized. Not even one of the four citations he used were employed "samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion." The Rue study, for example, was based on questionnaires given to women with any history of pregnancy loss and did not employ without any self-identification of depression as part of the selection process nor did it even examine depression.<ref>Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448616 Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women.] Med Sci Monit, 2004 10(10): SR5-16.</ref> This lack of precision is typical of idealogues for whom the idea is more important than the facts.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

Brenda N. Major

2008-08-06T19:50:38Z

Martha: Redirecting to Brenda Major

#redirect [[Brenda Major]]

Talk:Brenda Major

2008-08-06T19:30:53Z

Martha: stub

Started this article. Please feel free to edit...and perhaps remove any "tart" comments I have made.--[[User:Martha|Martha]] 19:30, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T19:29:16Z

Martha: /* Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress */

==Biography==

Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara.[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] She has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. She was a co-author of the 1989 APA task force report which criticized Koop's failure to white-wash abortion.

*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. </ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [[Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion]] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explaining in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported [by the self-attribution of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion and also by clinical experience of counselors who have successfully treated post-abortion depression],” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

In addition, Major's lack of concern for accuracy is demonstrated by her very inaccurate description of the studies cited by Reardon in regard to the quote she trucated and criticized. Not even one of the four citations he used were employed "samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion." The Rue study, for example, was based on questionnaires given to women with any history of pregnancy loss and did not employ without any self-identification of depression as part of the selection process nor did it even examine depression.<ref>Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448616 Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women.] Med Sci Monit, 2004 10(10): SR5-16.</ref> This lack of precision is typical of idealogues for whom the idea is more important than the facts.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T19:28:26Z

Martha: /* Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress */

==Biography==

Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara.[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] She has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. She was a co-author of the 1989 APA task force report which criticized Koop's failure to white-wash abortion.

*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. </ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explainin in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported [by the self-attribution of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion and also by clinical experience of counselors who have successfully treated post-abortion depression],” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

In addition, Major's lack of concern for accuracy is demonstrated by her very inaccurate description of the studies cited by Reardon in regard to the quote she trucated and criticized. Not even one of the four citations he used were employed "samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion." The Rue study, for example, was based on questionnaires given to women with any history of pregnancy loss and did not employ without any self-identification of depression as part of the selection process nor did it even examine depression.<ref>Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15448616 Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women.] Med Sci Monit, 2004 10(10): SR5-16.</ref> This lack of precision is typical of idealogues for whom the idea is more important than the facts.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T19:17:16Z

Martha: /* Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress */

==Biography==

Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara.[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] She has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. She was a co-author of the 1989 APA task force report which criticized Koop's failure to white-wash abortion.

*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. </ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explainin in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported [by the self-attribution of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion and also by clinical experience of counselors who have successfully treated post-abortion depression],” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T18:50:25Z

Martha: /* Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings */

==Biography==

Brenda N. Major is a professor of psychology at UC Santa Barbara.[http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/major/] She has published a number of studies on abortion with an emphasis on attributing negative psychological effects of abortion with lack of social support and stigma caused by anti-abortion protests. She was a co-author of the 1989 APA task force report which criticized Koop's failure to white-wash abortion.

*Major B, Mueller P, Hildebrandt K. Attributions, expectations, and coping with abortion. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:585-599.

*Major, B. et al. (1990). Perceived social support, self-efficacy, and adjustment to abortion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 186-197.

*Major, B., & Cozzarelli, C. (1992). Psychological predictors of adjustment to abortion. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 121-142.

*Major, B., Zubek, J. M., Cooper, M. L., Cozzarelli, C., & Richards, C. (1997). Mixed Messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1349-1363.

*Major B, Richards C, Cooper ML et al: Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: An integrative model of adjustment to abortion. J Person Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 735752

*Major, B. & Gramzow, R.H. (1999). Abortion as a stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(4), 735-745.

*Major, B., Cozzarelli, C., Cooper, M.L., Zubek, J., Richards, C., Wilhite, M., & Gramzow, R.H. (2000). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10920466?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Psychological responses of women after first-trimester abortion.] Archives of General Psychiatry, 57(8), 777-84. [http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/777 Full Text]

==Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings==
Quote from Reardon Letter regarding Study by Brenda Major.<ref>David Reardon. [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1 Study Fails to Address Our Previous Findings and Subject to Misleading Interpretations] BMJ.com (1 November 2005)
</ref>
:This brings me back to the original purpose of our study which was to investigate the hypothesis [of Brenda Major] that the previously observed increased risk of depression following abortion might be inconsequential compared to equal or higher rates of depression that might be associated with giving birth to an unintended child..<ref name=four/> While our original short report did not provide room for this discussion, I will offer it here.

:In a follow-up study of 442 women who had abortions, researchers [Brenda Major's team] tracked depression scores using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) one hour post-abortion, one month post-abortion, and two years post-abortion.<ref name=four>Major B, Cozzarelli C, Cooper ML et al: Psychological responses of women after first trimester abortion. Arch Gen Psych, 2000; 57(8): 777-84.</Ref><ref name=five>Cozzarelli, C., Major, B., Karrasch, A., & Fuegen, K. (2000). Women’s experiences of and reactions to antiabortion picketing. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 2000;22:265-275. </ref> At the two year follow-up, approximately 50% of the women either refused to participate in the follow-up evaluation or could not be contacted. Among those who did participate in the two year post-abortion assessment, depression scores were significantly higher than their one hour post-abortion scores, though higher one hour post-abortion scores were also significantly predictive of higher depression scores two years later.<ref name=five/>

:In addition to these important findings, the researchers found that 24.5% of the women remaining in their sample at the two-year followup had scores above the cutoff for clinical depression on the BSI depression scale.<ref name=five/>

:Curiously, rather than registering alarm, the researchers’ erroneously asserted that the depression rate detected in their study was only slightly over that of American women in general by reference to a study of national prevalence conducted by Blazer, Kessler, McGonagle, and Swartz,<ref name=Blazer/> which indicated a 20% lifetime prevalence rate of major depression among women 15-35 years of age. The reason this was assertion was erroneous is that the researchers mistakenly compared their scores for depression in the most recent month to Blazer’s findings regarding lifetime prevalence rates. Fortunately, Blazer’s group also reported the prevalence of current (30 day) major depression for females aged 15-24 and 25-34, as 8.2% and 4.3% respectively.<ref name=Blazer>Blazer DG, Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Swartz MS. The prevalence and distribution of major depression in a national community sample: The National Comorbidity Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994; 151, 979-986. </ref> Thus, when the proper comparison is made for most recent month depression rates, these follow-up abortion studies<ref name=four/><ref name=five/> [by Brenda Major] actually found that depression rates two years after abortion were 3 to 5 times higher among women who have had an abortion compared to the general population of similarly aged women.

:In my opinion, this finding that one-fourth of women two years after their abortion had high depression scores should have motivated the researchers to encourage more detailed pre-abortion screening and post-abortion counseling. But curiously, the authors appeared to generally dismiss the importance of their own findings on the basis of the hypothesis that giving birth to an unwanted pregnancy would likely incur equal or greater psychological price,<ref name=four/> a theme echoed by Schmiege and Russo.<ref>Schmiege S, Russo NF. Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study</ref> This is an extremely important hypothesis, but it is also a hypothesis, which up to that point, had never been tested. In the most recent, comprehensive review of the literature on emotional reactions to abortion and future research priorities,<ref>Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Strahan T, Cougle JR. The psychology of abortion: a review and suggestions for future research. Psychology and Health 2005; 20(2):237-271.</ref> the absence of studies examining psychological adjustment following an unintended pregnancy using control groups (comparing those who abort to those who carry to term) is identified as a major shortcoming of the existing literature. Our original study appears to be the first to employ this very appropriate control group.<ref>Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2002; 324:151-2. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/324/7330/151 </ref> We have continued to pursue this direction with two other studies that have compared the psychological wellbeing of women who carry unintended pregnancies to term with women who have abortions: one finding higher risk of long-term generalized anxiety disorder among women who abort<ref>Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK. Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.</ref> and the other finding higher rates of substance abuse.<ref>Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Am. J. Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 2004; 26(1):369 - 383.</ref>

==Brenda Major Dismisses Women's Self-Assessment of Post-Abortion Distress==

Brenda Major believes the testimonies of thousands of women who attributed their depression, anxiety, or other issues related to abortion can and should be dismissed. This is like saying women who have been raped can't be trusted when they say their psychiatric symptoms are due to their rapes...after all, it could be because they suffered bad potty training at the hands of an unloving mother, and they just wrongly attribute it to rape. See [Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion] for an excellent response to this favorite abortion trauma denier's argument.

Here Brenda Major explainin in her own words why we shouldn't trust women's own explanations for post-abortion grief and trauma:

:First, Reardon falsely implies that “a causal link between abortion and depression is strongly supported,” and cites studies of women who have been interviewed about their psychological reactions to abortion to support his claim. The studies he cites, however, are not based on representative samples of women who have had abortions, but rather on biased samples of women who have self-identified as feeling depressed resulting from abortion. Responses of these women cannot be generalized to the general population of women who have abortions. ''Even if these samples were representative, however, responses to these interviews would not establish a causal link between abortion and depression. Strong evidence exists that people can perceive a causal connection between events in their lives when none in fact exists. The infamous witchcraft trials of Salem, MA, in which young women came to believe that physical symptoms they were experiencing were caused by witchcraft, provide a compelling example of this fallacy.''<ref> Brenda Major[http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/bmj.38623.532384.55v1#125912 Reardon Response to Russo and Schmeige Misleads by Omission and Commission> BMJ (14 January 2006) </ref> (emphasis added)

She doesn't make a distinction between people blaming witches for their nightmares and people blaming their abortions. Major seems to think that both bad witches and bad abortions are figments of one's imagination. Using the same reasoning, the rapist can insist that his victim actually enjoyed it and is just trying to blame her other mental problems on him because she can't '''prove''' the causal connection between the rape and her problems. For the PAS-deniers, this is a great dodge since you can never prove a causal connection between any experience and one's psychological well being.

Furthermore, you will note that Major never acknowledges that it is up to those who favor abortion to demonstrate a causal connection between abortion and it's hoped for benefits. Benefits are just assumed, though none have even been demonstrated by statistical association, much less causal connections.

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T18:35:42Z

Martha: /* Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings */

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T18:27:44Z

Martha: /* Biography */

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T18:27:24Z

Martha: /* Biography */

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T18:21:32Z

Martha: /* Criticism of Major's Spin on Her Findings */

Brenda Major

2008-08-06T18:18:59Z

Martha: start of article stub