14 DAY TRIAL // A meta-analysis of available studies on the issue reveals that women who develop an unwanted pregnancy are indeed subjected to a much higher risk of developing mental health issues as a result of their condition. The research was carried out in the United Kingdom.
Experts with the National Collaborating Center for Mental Health, which is a part of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, say that the risk of developing new mental health issues could not be related to women's decision of either keeping the pregnancy, or getting an abortion.
Researchers have been studying the link between pregnancy, decisions about abortion, mental well-being and stress in women for many years, but thus far all they could determine was that the interactions developing between these factors are tremendously complex.
The ultimate question, however, has always been whether women's mental health is endangered by getting an abortion. The team went about answering this riddle by analyzing three previous systematic reviews in detail, PsychCentral reports.
An additional 44 studies were also included in the meta-analysis. All these investigations dealt with some aspects of the link between mental well-being and abortion. One of the most interesting discoveries was that the risk of developing mental health problems did not increase with abortion.
However, the risk does go up when a woman has an unwanted pregnancy. An important thing to keep in mind when assessing these risks was whether or not the female in question had a history of mental health issues in her past, or in the family.
The health risk was also higher for women who had recently gone through stressful events, such as for instance separating from their significant others, having a relative or family member die, or losing their jobs prior to becoming pregnant.
At the same time, it was also found that women who are forced by others to have an abortion also display an increased risk of developing mental health issues. However, women's own mental health records were found to weigh more in underlying this link than the abortion itself.
Details of the new investigation were published in the latest issue of the journal Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. The work should now be used to guide health and social care professionals to pay more attention towards women who get an abortion, and display some of the factors that may boost their risk towards developing mental health issues.