Summary:Married
Women Who Abort First Pregnancy More Likely to Become Depressed than
Those who Deliver
Among
married women experiencing unintended pregnancies, those who abort
are more likely to be at "high risk" of clinical depression than
those who delivered their babies.
Married women
experiencing an unintended pregnancy who carry to term are less
likely to have high risk depression scores. There are comparable
rates of high risk depression in unmarried women who abort their
first pregnancy. The author's position notes that the stress of
unmarried women with children without spouses may contribute to
higher rates of high risk depression.1
1Reardon,
David C. and Jesse Cougle. Depression and Unintended Pregnancy in
the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: A Cohort Study. British
Medical Journal, January 2002, Volume 324, 151-152.
