A recently published study found that women who have had an abortion often become depressed after the procedure is “common around the world.”
BMC Psychiatry, an open, peer-reviewed scientific journal, late last month published a study by a group of Ethiopian scientists led by Natnael Atnafu Gebeyehu and Kirubel Dagnaw Tegegne, entitled ‘World Prevalence of Post-Abortion Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis .”
Depression after abortion
The study authors analyzed 657 scientific articles from 15 research projects involving a total of 18,207 women. Based on this, they concluded that 34.5 percent of women who had an abortion developed depression as a result.
“The prevalence of post-abortion depression varied by geographic location, World Health Organization (WHO) region classification, World Bank income categories, screening approach, and study design,” the researchers explain.
For example, the highest rate of depression after abortion was found in Asia: 37.5%. Moreover, the highest frequency of this condition was found in lower and middle-income countries: 42.91%.
“In summary, post-abortion depression has been observed to occur throughout the world. Healthcare providers should prioritize providing counseling, care and emotional support to women after an abortion,” the report concluded.
In an analysis last week, Dr. Hibah Khaja of Psychiatry Advisor said the study results “indicate that a large proportion of women who undergo abortion experience depression.”
However, Khaja also cautioned that “this study may be limited by the variability in depression measures, the lack of data from some geographic areas, and the reliance on self-reported responses.”
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
