By Dr. David Reardon
Depression among women after an unintended first pregnancy is linked to whether they have an abortion or carry to term.
Data from a national study of American youths, begun in 1979, was used to conduct the research. In 1992, a subset of 4,463 women were surveyed about depression and unintended pregnancy.
Among married women, those who previously carried an unintended first pregnancy to term were at less risk of subsequent depression than women who aborted. Rates of depression scores were comparable among unmarried women.
This may be due to the stress unmarried women may experience in raising a child without support or it may be related to this group's higher rate of concealing past abortions.
Since shame, secrecy, and thought suppression regarding an abortion are all associated with greater post-abortion depression, anxiety, and hostility, the high rate of concealing past abortions in this group (60% overall), means that these results may under represent the full effect of abortion on subsequent depression.
British Medical Journal January 19, 2002; 324: 151-152
It appears that there are indeed consequences when veering from biblical guidelines on bringing children into the world. Ideally, children should have loving parents that secure and nurture their growth. This is best done in a long-term committed relationship of marriage.
The study shows that depression is clearly a risk for women who chose to abort their child or to have children outside of the context of marriage.
Clearly there are many variables here that contribute to a woman's choice. The classic example would be a child conceived in a rape situation. Fortunately, therapies like EFT are enormously useful to address the major bioelectrical short-circuiting that results from these typically unresolved or ongoing emotional traumas.