New Study: Most Women Seeking Abortion Have Higher Risk of Negative Psychological Reactions

Peer-reviewed study identifies key factors shaping women’s emotional responses following abortion

Washington D.C.—A new peer-reviewed study by the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) and Elliot Institute found that the majority of women seeking abortion possess one or more established risk factors for negative psychological reactions.

The study surveyed a random sample of American women ages 41–45, identifying two key drivers of negative reactions post-abortion: 1) attachment and support (for example, emotional attachment to the pregnancy, lack of social support, and pressure from others to abort) and 2) internal conflict following the decision to the abort. These predicted whether women experienced emotional distress, intrusive thoughts, or destructive behavioral risks.

Key findings:

• Nearly 70% of women reported significant levels of negative emotions that they self-attributed to their abortions.
• Women who were attached to their pregnancy, lacked social support, or were pressured to abort reported higher levels of negative reactions post-abortion than those who just experienced internal conflict.
• Nearly 25% of women reported high levels of grief, depression, regret and frequent thoughts of their aborted child.
• Women who were at higher risk of negative psychological reactions experienced greater stress from completing the survey. This suggests the women at highest risk may be the least likely to participate in abortion surveys and studies.

Dr. David Reardon, director of the Elliot Institute and associate scholar at CLI, said:

“This data set has previously been used to examine suicidal behaviors, grief, and psychological reactions following abortion or natural losses. In this study, we evaluated how multiple risk factors interact, ultimately creating predictable patterns of negative psychological reactions. Our findings confirm previous research showing that a significant majority of women seeking abortion are at high risk of moderate to severe negative psychological reactions post-abortion. Taken together, these results contradict the assertion that abortion carries no negative mental health outcomes for women.”

To read the full study, click here.

Charlotte Lozier Institute was launched in 2011 as the education and research arm of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. CLI is a hub for research and public policy analysis on some of the most pressing issues facing the United States and nations around the world. The Institute is named for a feminist physician known for her commitment to the sanctity of human life and equal career and educational opportunities for women.

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