Category: Women’s Health Studies

A medical journal published this case history of a woman who became psychotic after her abortion. The woman became psychotic after a miscarriage (labeled a “spontaneous abortion”). But she had previously been in a psychotic state as a result of a past abortion. The miscarriage may have triggered the memory of the abortion. While there might be genuine mental illness at work, the episodes are triggered by pregnancy loss.

“Case Report:

A 24-year-old married woman from a nuclear family of lower socio-economic status underwent a spontaneous abortion at ten weeks. Her husband noticed no change in her mental state until 5 days after the abortion when she developed inappropriate behaviour, disinhibition, irrelevant talking, muttering to self, neglect of personal hygiene, loss of appetite and insomnia.

There was a past history of a psychotic illness two years back when she underwent a termination of pregnancy at eight weeks. It was her own decision and she had not expressed any ambivalence or guilt over the termination. There was no change in her mental state until 10 days after the termination. She was diagnosed as suffering from an acute schizophrenic episode and was treated with haloperidol (15-30 mg/day) and trihexyphenidyl (6-8 mg per day) for about 8 weeks when she stopped taking medication, yet remained well. Her first pregnancy and puerpcrium four years back was uneventful. There was no family history of psychiatric disorder. Her birth, early development and schooling was also uneventful.
On mental state examination, she was perplexed and showed signs of neglect of personal hygiene and increased psychomotor activity. Her affect was shallow and she experienced auditory and visual hallucinations. She had ideas of reference. Her orientation and memory were intact. Physical examination revealed no abnormalities and routine blood tests were within normal limits.”

M. S. BHATIA AND R. K. CHADDA “CASE REPORT ‘. RECURRENT PSYCHOTIC ILLNESS AFTER ABORTION” Indian. Psychiat. (1990), 32(4),362-363

From a study on adolescents’ reactions to abortion:

“The loss of a potential child by abortion gives rise to the universal experience of mourning, in which adolescents are developmentally more vulnerable…. Because strong cultural and religious taboos exist, aspects of traumatic grief are sometimes ignored….

The adolescents described feelings of guilt, shame, secrecy, or confusion that clarified how the social stigma of abortion was reinforced in the high school setting. American adolescents are more likely to disapprove of abortion because they tend to respond in absolute terms to moral issues. Stone and Waszak’s study (1992) demonstrated that adolescents’ first association to abortion was “killing the baby” ….

The group members in our study indicated they felt guilty when they were seen entering the abortion clinic, a feeling exacerbated by protesters who were sometimes encountered outside the clinic. Classroom discussions that condemned abortion also made the adolescents feel uncomfortable and guilty….

The socially based negative emotions of guilt, shame, and fear of disapproval were still noted in these group participants, even 40 years after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed women’s right to choose, offering some societal acceptance of this choice. These feelings of guilt and shame, along with the shock and trauma of the pregnancy, can prevent adolescents from incorporating the experience of abortion into a learning experience because the defense of denial is used. This denial may cause a repetition of the shameful experience….

Some group members shared that they talked to the fetus and said, “I’m sorry,” to the fetus.”

Daly, Joan Ziegler, ACSW; Ziegler, Robert, MD; Goldstein, Donna J, RN, CPNP “Adolescent Postabortion Groups” Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services; Thorofare Vol. 42, Iss. 10,  (Oct 2004): 48-54.

Other study it cited was:

Stone, R., & Waszak, C. (1992). Adolescent knowledge and attitudes about abortion. Family Phnning Perspectives, 24, 52-57

A questionnaire given out by a pro-life researcher asked post-abortive women whether they felt certain emotions after their abortions. Following are the percentages of women in the survey that said yes to the following emotions. The question was “Circle any that apply to your abortion.”

The study indicates that women with a prior history of abortion are twice as likely to use alcohol, five times more likely to use illicit drugs, and 10 times more likely to use marijuana during the first pregnancy they carry to term compared to other women delivering their first pregnancies.

“History of induced abortion in relation to substance abuse during pregnancies carried to term” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology December 2002; 187 (5)

“A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that repeat abortion patients had more difficulty in getting along with others and evidenced significantly higher distress scores on interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation, phobic anxiety, and sleep disturbance than women undergoing abortion for the first time.”

Ellen Freeman “Emotional Distress Patterns among Women Having First or Repeat Abortions” Obstetrics and Gynecology 55 (5), 1980, 630