APA Abortion Report

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• Tales From an Insider: How The APA Denied Abortion's Mental Health Risks by Rachel McNair, Ph.D.

• Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks by Steven Ertelt

• Brenda Major, Chair of APA Abortion Task Force - Biography and biases

• Letters to APA Regarding Task Force on Abortion

• The APA Task Force Report dismisses a large body of evidence demonstrating a link between abortion and mental health problems. And in the end it is left with only one study which it deems to be definitive in demonstrating no higher mental health risks associated with abortion. That study Gilchrist has a number of flaws described here

• David Fergusson reacts to the APA Mental Health and Abortion task force report

• Allegations cloud APA Mental Health and Abortion report

• APA denials of abortion mental health risk contradicted by other studies Good overview article from Catholic News Service.

• APA abortion and mental health report: Single abortion not a threat to women’s mental health

• What the headline's avoid saying, "APA finds more than one abortion is threat to women's mental health"

• APA Report Unconvincing. 100 Scientists Report Abortion Does Cause Mental Health Problems

• On March 14, 2008, the British Royal Academy of Psychiatrists recognized the need to screen for risk factors associated with mental health problems associated with abortion, stating:

“Healthcare professionals who assess or refer women who are requesting an abortion should assess for mental disorder and for risk factors that may be associated with its subsequent development. If a mental disorder or risk factors are identified, there should be a clearly identified care pathway whereby the mental health needs of the woman and her significant others may be met."

Here is the full Royal College of Psychiatrists

• Women Hurting From Abortions Say APA Report Discounts Their Experiences

• Researcher on Abortion-Depression Link Says APA Report Ignores Best Studies

• APA Report on Abortion-Mental Health Problem Link Politically Biased

Media Reports

• Medpage Today

Excerpts:

The review identified several factors predictive of more negative psychological responses following first-trimester abortion:

• Included perceptions of stigma
• Need for secrecy
• Low or anticipated social support for the abortion decision
• Prior history of mental health problems
• Personality factors such as low self-esteem and use of avoidance and denial coping strategies
• Characteristics of the particular pregnancy, including the extent to which the woman wanted and felt committed to it
• Prior mental health which was the strongest predictor of postabortion mental health

The report noted that many of these same factors also predict negative psychological reactions to other types of stressful life events, including childbirth.

National Health Services

Daily Herald

Med India

"Certain factors were found to increase the risk of lingering mental health effects ranging from higher stress levels to anxious feelings to full-blown depression:

• Being pressured into having an abortion when the pregnancy was wanted

• Not having adequate emotional support after the abortion

• Feeling the need to keep the abortion a secret from loved ones because of the stigma associated with it