Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

The
researchers include Dr. Priscilla Coleman of Bowling Green State University
and Catherine Coyle, RN, Ph.D., of the Alliance for Post-Abortion
Women.

In
addition, David Reardon, Ph.D., a top post-abortion researcher from
the Elliot Institute and clinical psychologist Vincent M. Rue, Ph.D.,
from the Institute for Pregnancy Loss will also appear.

They
will discuss data from numerous studies that have exposed the associations
between abortion and mental health, and substance abuse disorders.

In
2005, Dr. David Fergusson of the Christchurch School of Medicine &
Health Sciences in New Zealand, conducted
a study that found that having an abortion as a young woman raises
the risk of developing mental health problems such as depression and
anxiety.

Some
42 percent of the women who had abortions had experienced major depression
within the last four years. That's almost double the rate of women
who never became pregnant. The risk of anxiety disorders also doubled.

According
to the study, women who had abortions were twice as likely to drink
alcohol at dangerous levels and three times as likely to be addicted
to illegal drugs.

An
August study from Norway shows a link between abortion
and mental health problems such as depression.

The authors make the link clear in the conclusion of the abstract:
"Young adult women who undergo induced abortion may be at increased
risk for subsequent depression."

Another
study in August in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
found 30 percent of women who purchase the abortion drug mifepristone
on the Internet experience depression and negative feelings accompanying
the abortion.

Despite
the research, the American Psychological Association, which supports
legalized abortion, released
a report claiming abortion causes no mental health problems.

The
FRC announcement about the discussion indicates the researchers will
present "the body of research the American Psychological Association
failed to assess in its recent report on abortion and mental health."

The event takes place Thursday at the FRC headquarters in Washington.