Abortion cuts risk of later blues

Proceeding with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy is more likely to
cause depression than having an abortion, a controversial new study
has found.

Researchers in the US questioned 1247 women who aborted or delivered
an unwanted first pregnancy between 1970 and 1992. The women were
interviewed over several years.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that going
ahead with an unwanted pregnancy was more likely to lead to
depression.

"We conclude that, under present conditions of legal access to
abortion, there is no credible evidence that choosing to terminate an
unwanted first pregnancy puts women at higher risk of subsequent
depression than does choosing to deliver an unwanted first pregnancy,"
said Nancy Russo and Sarah Schmiege from Arizona State University's
department of psychology. They said pre-existing mental health
problems were a better predictor of depression, regardless of how the
pregnancy was resolved.

Cait Calcutt, the co-ordinator of Queensland-based counselling service
Children by Choice, agreed. "Whether women are likely to suffer
depression depends on if they've had depression previously," Ms
Calcutt said. "Also, there is a greater risk of a woman not coping
well if it is a wanted pregnancy that is terminated on the basis of
fetal abnormalities.

"However, evidence over the past 30 years shows terminating a
pregnancy does not increase the risk of depression and this study
confirms that."

The researchers also found that the women in the study who had an
abortion had a significantly higher level of education, higher income
and lower total family size, all of which were associated with a lower
risk of depression.

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