Outcome following therapeutic abortion
E. C. Payne, A. R. Kravitz, M. T. Notman and J. V. Anderson
Psychological outcome of abortion was studied in 102 patients, measuring
multiple variables over four time intervals. Five measured
affects--anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, and shame-were significantly
lower six months after the preabortion period. The following variables
describe subgroups of patients with significant variations in patterns of
responses as indicated by changes in affects: marital status, personality
diagnosis, character of object relations, past psychopathologic factors,
relationship to husband or lover, relationship to mother, ambivalence about
abortion, religion, and previous parity. A complex multivariate model,
based on conflict and conflict resolution, is appropriate to conceptualize,
the unwanted pregnancy and abortion experience. Data suggest that women
most vulnerable to conflict are those who are single and nulliparous, those
with previous history of serious emotional problems, conflictual
relationships to lovers, past negative relationships to mother, strong
ambivalence toward abortion, or negative religious or cultural attitudes
about abortion.
