01 October 2007
The relationship between abortion and depression: New evidence from the fragile families and child wellbeing study
Daniel I Rees, Joseph J SabiaDOI: 10.12659/MSM.502357
Med Sci Monit 2007; 13(10): CR430-436
Abstract
Background: Although a number of studies have used survey data to examine the relationship between abortion and depression, none adjusted their estimates for pre-pregnancy depression. The purpose of this study was to test if abortion is associated with a different risk of major depression (MD) symptomatology than other pregnancy outcomes after adjusting for prior depression.
Material/Methods: The current study used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a representative sample of women living in large US cities who recently gave birth. Particpants were administered the Composite International Diagnostic Interview – Short Form (CIDI-SF) during the first and second follow-up interviews. Changes in depressive symptoms from the first to the second follow-up interviews were related to abortion and other pregnancy outcomes including giving birth and miscarriage.
Results: Women who had an abortion between the first and second follow-up interviews were almost twice as likely to have symptoms of MD as women who did not become pregnant. This difference could not be explained by factors such as race, ethnicity, age, education, household income, number of children, or prior depressive symptomatology. In fact, after adjusting for these factors, abortion was still associated with a more than two-fold increase in the likelihood of having depressive symptoms at second follow-up (OR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.01 to 4.57, p=0.047). Giving birth was associated with a statistically comparable increase in the likelihood of having the symptoms of MD.
Conclusions: The results suggest that the positive association between abortion and depressive symptoms cannot be explained by pre-pregnancy depression. Women who have an abortion are not at higher risk of MD than those who give birth.
Keywords: Abortion, Induced - psychology, Child, Child Welfare, Data Collection, Depression - psychology, Family, Odds Ratio, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Outcome, Questionnaires, Regression Analysis
Editorial
01 February 2025 : Editorial
Editorial: Current Approaches to Screening for Lung Cancer in Smokers and Non-SmokersDOI: 10.12659/MSM.948255
Med Sci Monit 2025; 31:e948255
In Press
Review article
Hydrogels in Oral Disease Management: A Review of Innovations in Drug Delivery and Tissue RegenerationMed Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.946122
Clinical Research
Procedure Dynamics in Transfemoral vs Transradial Cerebral Angiography: A Retrospective StudyMed Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.947603
Clinical Research
Predicting Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Burden Based on Thromboelastography in Patients with Acute Ischemi...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.946303
Clinical Research
Long-Term Outcomes of Implanon in Managing Adenomyosis: A 3-Year Prospective StudyMed Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.945972
Most Viewed Current Articles
17 Jan 2024 : Review article 6,969,459
Vaccination Guidelines for Pregnant Women: Addressing COVID-19 and the Omicron VariantDOI :10.12659/MSM.942799
Med Sci Monit 2024; 30:e942799
16 May 2023 : Clinical Research 701,879
Electrophysiological Testing for an Auditory Processing Disorder and Reading Performance in 54 School Stude...DOI :10.12659/MSM.940387
Med Sci Monit 2023; 29:e940387
01 Mar 2024 : Editorial 25,628
Editorial: First Regulatory Approvals for CRISPR-Cas9 Therapeutic Gene Editing for Sickle Cell Disease and ...DOI :10.12659/MSM.944204
Med Sci Monit 2024; 30:e944204
28 Jan 2024 : Review article 20,173
A Review of IgA Vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein Purpura) Past, Present, and FutureDOI :10.12659/MSM.943912
Med Sci Monit 2024; 30:e943912