Study: No Link Between Teen Abortions and Depression

(Sept. 24) -- Teen girls who undergo abortions are no more likely than their peers to experience depression or self-esteem problems, according to a new study that raises questions about state-mandated counseling services for underage abortion patients.

The study involved 289 girls from across the country, all of whom had been pregnant and 69 of whom had received abortions, and is the first to explore the link between abortions and depression among teenagers.

Researchers at Oregon State University, whose work is published in the December issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, found no difference in instances of depression between teens who'd undergone abortions and those who hadn't.

"Opponents of legalized abortion have suggested that abortion is a traumatic event with severe consequences for women's mental health," the study says. "However, the results of this study and the best evidence available indicate that abortion
does not cause either depression or low self-esteem among women, including adolescents."

The researchers' conclusion held even five years later, and after controlling for factors like income, family background and ethnicity.

Most states require teen girls to undergo pre-abortion counseling, and seven states require that warnings be given about mental health risks.

But despite their study, as well as an earlier review by the American Psychiatric Association that found similar results among adult women, researchers say depression is still a frequently cited reason for restricting access to abortions. A 2007 Supreme Court decision to uphold a restriction on partial-birth abortions included depression as one key factor.

"While we find no reliable data to measure the phenomenon, it seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote at the time. "Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow."