Study Links Abortion to Mental Health Issues

A new peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research has found that women who undergo abortions are more than twice as likely to be hospitalized for mental health conditions compared to women who give birth.

The study analyzed medical records of 28,721 induced abortions and 1,228,807 births in Quebec, Canada, between 2006 and 2022. Researchers reported that abortion was associated with increased rates of hospitalization for psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and attempted suicide.

The authors noted that pre-existing mental illness was the strongest predictor of psychiatric hospitalization following abortion. Younger age at the time of abortion was also linked to higher risk, consistent with broader research showing that many psychiatric disorders emerge in adolescence and early adulthood.

They added that repeat abortions carried a heightened risk of hospitalization, while a prior history of live birth was also associated with increased risk, though the reasons for that finding remain unclear.

The study is drawing attention because of its large sample size and publication in a mainstream medical journal. it contradicts earlier claims that abortion does not generally pose long-term mental health risks.

Researchers emphasized that while the findings highlight significant associations, they do not prove causation.