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 May 2022 : Editorial
Editorial: Cardiovascular Complications at One Year After SARS-CoV-2 Infection are Independent of Underlying Cardiovascular Risk Factors or Severity of COVID-19DOI: 10.12659/MSM.937048
Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e937048
SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19
24 May 2022 : Clinical Research
Screening for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Students at the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland Between November...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.936962
04 May 2022 : Clinical Research
Effects of Wearing Face Masks on Exercise Capacity and Ventilatory Anaerobic Threshold in Healthy Subjects ...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.936069
27 May 2022 : Clinical Research
Factors Associated with Falls During Hospitalization for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e936547
25 May 2022 : Meta-Analysis
Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Serum Vitamin D Levels in People Under Age 18 Years: A Systematic Review...Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e935823
In Press
27 May 2022 : Clinical Research
Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Integrated Liver Inflammatory Score in Patients with Hepatocellular...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.937005
25 May 2022 : Review article
Narrative Review of the Mechanism of Hip Prosthesis Dislocation and Methods to Reduce the Risk of DislocationMed Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.935665
24 May 2022 : Clinical Research
Remimazolam Tosilate Sedation with Adjuvant Sufentanil in Chinese Patients with Liver Cirrhosis Undergoing ...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.936580
24 May 2022 : Clinical Research
Screening for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Students at the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland Between November...Med Sci Monit In Press; DOI: 10.12659/MSM.936962
Most Viewed Current Articles
30 Dec 2021 : Clinical Research
Retrospective Study of Outcomes and Hospitalization Rates of Patients in Italy with a Confirmed Diagnosis o...DOI :10.12659/MSM.935379
Med Sci Monit 2021; 27:e935379
08 Mar 2022 : Review article
A Review of the Potential Roles of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Pharmacological Approaches for the Man...DOI :10.12659/MSM.936292
Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e936292
01 Nov 2020 : Review article
Long-Term Respiratory and Neurological Sequelae of COVID-19DOI :10.12659/MSM.928996
Med Sci Monit 2020; 26:e928996
01 Jan 2022 : Editorial
Editorial: Current Status of Oral Antiviral Drug Treatments for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Non-Hospitalized Pa...DOI :10.12659/MSM.935952
Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e935952