Nada L. Stotland

Nada Stotland, MD, MPH, is the 2008-9 President of the American Psychiatric Association and was a former [http://www.prch.org/content/index.php?pid=105 board member of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRHC).

Stotland's testimony before Congress http://energycommerce.house.gov/reparchives/108/Hearings/09292004hearing1388/Stotland2227.htm

Shadigian's testimony http://energycommerce.house.gov/reparchives/108/Hearings/09292004hearing1388/Shadigian2229.htm

Stotland told the LA TImes that women who have abortions are more likely to be emotionally unstable in the first place. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-menabort7jan07,0,5749127.story?coll=la-home-center

In 'Abortion: Social Context, Psychodynamic Implications" Am J Psychiatry, 155(7):964-967, 1998' Stotland admits her surprise when treating a woman whose past abortion emerged as a major psychological issue years later when she experienced a subsequent miscarriage. She states that "the loss of a potential life" caused by abortion "leaves the person vulnerable to reminders and reenactments, to difficulties that may surface in life and in subsequent psychotherapy."

Stotland Recommends Screening: http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/38/13/8

Stotland's Comments on abortion to APA http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118575.php

APA Position Paper on abortion http://www.psych.org/Departments/EDU/Library/APAOfficialDocumentsandRelated/PositionStatements/197703.aspx

Curiously, the APA position states "freedom to act to interrupt pregnancy must be considered a mental health imperative with major social and mental health implications." Does this not translate to "abortion must be considered a mental health imperative with major social and mental health implications."??

A summary of ‘Abortion Trauma Syndrome?’ Critiquing the Evidence” by Stotland, Russo, and others.

See Is there an “Abortion Trauma Syndrome”? Critiquing the Evidence for a response to arguments raised by Stotand and others.

--Stotland Advising Doctors to Not Document Abortion Related Problems-- Stotland, N. (2003). Abortion and psychiatric practice. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. 9:2, 139-149.

"It is also important, however, to be aware of the realities of the limitations on doctor-patient confidentiality and the implications of having an abortion in one's medical (including psychiatric) record. There are websites that list the names and addresses of women who have had abortions. Unless there is a clear and explicit medical need to record the abortion, the medical record need only note that the patient is dealing with feelings about a past experience." (pp. 147-148)

Koop's Letter http://www.justfacts.com/abortion.koopsletter.asp