Therapeutic termination of pregnancy and women’s mental health: Determinants and consequences

Giacomo, Ester di; Pessina, Rodolfo; Santorelli, Mario; Rucco, Daniele; Placenti, Valeria; Aliberti, Francesca; Colmegna, Fabrizia; Clerici, Massimo

doi:10.5498/wjp.v11.i11.937

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…Research on the relationship between abortion and mental health has often been the source of controversy. Much of this controversy arises from differences in cultural and religious beliefs about this procedure, leading to differences in the way harm is conceptualized [ 51 , 52 ]. It is not the aim of the current study to arrive at moral or ethical conclusions about the “rightness” or “wrongness” of abortion, but to expand the scientific evidence base in this field.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

Rajkumar¹

2022

Cureus

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Background It has often been suggested that restricting access to legal abortion could have a negative impact on the mental health of women seeking this procedure. The recent judgment of the United States Supreme Court in the Dobbs case has brought the question of the psychological impact of changes in abortion policy into focus. The results of studies on the link between induced abortion and mental health are contradictory, and interpreting the results of these studies is complex due to a multitude of potential confounding factors. However, there is little data on the relationship between the availability of legal abortion and its effects on the mental health of women of childbearing age in the general population. Objective The objective of the current study was to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between access to legal abortion and the prevalence of common mental disorders in women of childbearing age at a cross-national level while correcting for potential confounding factors. Methods The current study employs both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of nation-level data for 197 countries and regions. As data on global abortion policy were compiled in 2009 and 2017 by the Guttmacher Institute, data on access to legal abortion for these years were examined in relation to the prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression in women of childbearing age for each country, obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Studies for the most recent subsequent year (2010 and 2019). The relationship between changes in abortion policy and changes in the prevalence of these disorders in each country was examined for the aforementioned period. All analyses were adjusted for the potential confounding effects of gender development, gender inequality, and intimate partner violence. Cross-sectional associations were examined using Pearson's bivariate and partial correlations, while longitudinal associations were examined using a general linear model and analyses of covariance. Results At the cross-sectional level, broad legal access to abortion was associated with a lower prevalence of depression in women aged 25-49 years, however, this association was not significant after correcting for measures of gender development, gender inequality, and intimate partner violence. At the longitudinal level, a slight but significant decrease in the prevalence of anxiety disorders in women aged 25-49 years was observed in countries where access to legal abortion was broadened in the period 2009-2017. This association remained marginally significant after adjustment for the above confounders. Conclusions The current study suggests that there is a modest relationship between access to legal abortion and its effects on the mental health of women aged 25-49 years. However, this relationship appears to be largely indirect in nature and influenced by factors, such as gender development, gender inequality, and intimate pa...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

Rajkumar¹

2022

Cureus

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…TtoP is an induced abortion after the second semester of gestation in the context of fetal unviability or causes of physical danger or pathological mental distress in the pregnant mother. Given the choice of undergoing a Ttop and the additional therapeutic effect, different effects on mental health conditions can be present [50]. Substantial variables that can influence the father's experiences of the loss are not taken into account in this systematic review, such as the noteworthy effect of stigmatization and social support.…”

Section: Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder after perinatal loss in fathers: A systematic review

Lamon¹,

Hert²,

Detraux³

et al. 2022

Eur. Psychiatr.

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Background: Research indicates that perinatal loss can cause profound psychological consequences in parents. However, a comprehensive summary of existing quantitative literature describing the association between perinatal loss and the development of depression/depressive symptoms or PTSD/post-traumatic stress symptoms in fathers has not been published. Methods: A systematic literature search (from inception to December 2021), using the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases to articles assessing depressive or posttraumatic stress symptoms, was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Only studies investigating the period of intrauterine death from 20 weeks of gestation, stillbirth, or neonatal death within the first month after birth were included. Results: A final sample of 13 articles were eligible for inclusion. Some studies showed an increased risk of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms in fathers after perinatal loss. However, many study results did not show significant differences, symptoms generally decreased over time and the majority of studies showed higher levels of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms in mothers, compared with fathers. Conclusion: Although the majority of the included studies showed elevated levels of depressive and/or PTSD symptoms after perinatal loss in fathers, no clear firm conclusion can be drawn, as the included studies were very heterogeneous. More homogeneous research measuring depressive and PTS symptoms in fathers is needed at the time of the loss, as the current literature available shows several limitations and gaps.

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“…Even as most of these variables might be physical, several psychological variables should also be included [ 6 ]. More precisely, personality might play a crucial role as it has been considered an important predictor of physical and mental health [ 7 , 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies show that neuroticism was associated with the development of postpartum depression symptoms [ 11 , 12 ]. However, an openness personality trait can decrease the risk for postnatal depression symptomatology [ 8 ]. Mothers’ breastfeeding intentions were also negatively associated with neuroticism [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mediation Effect of Coping Strategies between Personality and Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Complicated by Hypertension

et al. 2022

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Background: Hypertension is the most common medical condition during pregnancy. Hypertensive disorders are associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes for both mother and fetus. This study examined the role played by personality and coping strategies in relation to blood pressure levels during pregnancy. The specific goal was to study whether coping strategies can mediate the effect of personality in pregnant women with hypertension. Methods: A sample of 351 pregnant women was enlisted, encompassing 192 pregnancies complicated by hypertension. This is a cross-sectional study where personality traits were measured by the five-factor model and coping was evaluated by Jalowiec’s coping inventory scale. Results: Personality can partially predict systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Openness to experience trait is inversely correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Conversely, emotion-focused coping directly correlated with blood pressure levels. Systolic (β = −0.14; p < 0.05) and diastolic (β = −0.15; p < 0.05) blood pressure were also predicted by openness to experience. Conclusions: It is recommended to reinforce the development of coping strategies which focus more on the problem than on the emotion, avoiding detrimental effects of emotional coping in blood pressure levels during pregnancy.

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Therapeutic termination of pregnancy and women’s mental health: Determinants and consequences

Cited by 13 publications

References 82 publications

The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder after perinatal loss in fathers: A systematic review

The Mediation Effect of Coping Strategies between Personality and Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Complicated by Hypertension

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